I RUN a dive charter on the south coast (Scottburgh) and not too long ago while some German guests were diving, their friends, who were waiting on the beach, were held up at gunpoint.
We had warned them not to carry any valuables on the beach but cameras and passports etc were stolen. But that was not the end of it. My problem with this traumatic ordeal was the way they were treated by the police.
The one tourist (pretty shaken up) was looked after by a local restaurateur who gave him a beer to help him relax while they waited for the police to arrive. When the police arrived, the tourists, who could barely speak English, were treated rudely and were told that no statement would be taken while they were drunk.
They were then told rudely to make their way to the local police station to make a statement four hours later. The police then promptly left. These foreign guests, who also had no means of transport as their hire car keys were also stolen, have had a very bad experience in our country and will share it with all their friends at home.
All tourist-related businesses hopefully do our part, to look after foreign guests, but quite frankly other than locking them up for their own safety it’s going to be a joke. No tourist is safe from the thugs who roam our streets looking for these easy pickings.
Juan Pereira
