[OSGeo-Discuss] South African safety situation

[Graeme McFerren]

It is a source of shame for most South Africans that this wave of xenophobia-driven violence is happening inside our country. The reasons for it are not entirely clear, but it seems to have settled down almost as rapidly as it sprung up. It does not have any element of being state-backed violence (e.g. Darfur) or anything like that. News reports this morning were describing how displaced foreigners are already re-integrating with their communities and getting back to their daily lives. Bizarre. It has certainly been a wake up call for our politicians (so they say), but on a more human level, the response from many ordinary folk has been great - donations of money, food, clothes etc have poured in and people have been lending a helping hand. Actually, this is what South Africa is often about - people responding with warmth and generosity of spirit to great adversities.    

I would suggest that the travel situation to and through South Africa at the moment is largely unaffected, though each person needs to keep their own "safe-travel radar" active. The average tourist will likely not go to the areas affected, unless interested in seeing the situation for themselves.  And to echo Gavin, these things need to be addressed and understood better. There is a clear socio-political dimension to the problems (of a very spatial nature), hence some of the conference themes. 

Graeme 

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