US Embassy alert for OR Tambo

27 July 2017, 16:58

K Evans

I posted this in African Travel, too, but thought more would see it here:

Messages for U.S. Citizens
U.S. Consulate General, Johannesburg
July 25, 2017

The U.S. Mission to South Africa advises U.S. citizens to exercise caution when arranging ground transportation from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to hotels, guest houses, and residences. Numerous U.S. citizens and other travelers have been robbed at gun point while traveling from OR Tambo International Airport to their place of lodging in what are known as “follow home” robberies. In some instances, U.S. citizens have been injured or shot at during these robberies.

27 July 2017, 17:16

larryshores

Thanks Karl.

We just traveled through there Sunday. To be blunt, we hired armed body guards to escort us to and from Sun City due to our concerns. They told us some horror stories involving the airport. They also told us some arrests had been made last week involving a ring targeting foreign travelers. I forget the number arrested.

I have to tell you that some of the people entering the country just beg for trouble. On our flight in we saw some who wore clothes looking like tourists, wore expensive jewelry and even saw one family that had nothing but Louis Vuitton luggage. I saw one man counting out a bunch on $100 bills out of a big wad getting them changed into rands. If I noticed it, I am sure others up to no good did as well.

27 July 2017, 21:48

Jaco Human

Some serious action was taken at OR Tambo, 5 police officials were suspended, something like 35 other workers were suspended. More security forces is patrolling the area around OR Tambo.

I make it easy on myself. I pick up the clients and travel with the Gautrain to Centurion. We skip the traffic and possible robberies and it all happens in a jiffy. 'n Boer maak 'n plan.

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27 July 2017, 21:58

Jaco Human

quote:
Originally posted by crane:
Yes. Folks do beg for trouble with zero situational awareness. That being said it won't take long for the "usuals" to tell us it is all roses and flowers at OR Tambo and JoBerg. It is amazing it took the embassy that long. Gotta wonder what the politics are.

Nowhere in the world is it roses and flowers. Larry got it spot on. Don't look like a tourist, don't be flashy with your belongings, just act normal. If you are on the lookout and know what is going on around you, you will be safe. Be vigilant and you will be OK.

27 July 2017, 23:35

TWL

I'd guess there is probably broad-based collusion among airline / airport / taxi and various other employees in identifying and setting up potential victims for these robberies. The guys doing the actual robberies are at the bottom of the org chart.

This would be a relatively easy problem to solve. I could take a well-trained group of covert operators as well as surveillance and counter-surveillance people and clean this mess up in about a month. In addition to some high-profile arrests, dead suspects, shot-to-shit, would begin showing up around town. It wouldn't take long, and would be a lot of fun, frankly.

Of course, it takes the political will of the civilian leadership to allow these ops to go forward. I doubt anyone in JoBerg has it.

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28 July 2017, 00:23

desert dog

Yes, the tourists are very easy to spot; they are picking up their gun cases from SAPS. After which, many stand around near the "tourist circle" waiting for their ride to the guest house / game ranch.

The thieves are WELL AWARE that most hunters carry large sums of money for tips and trophy fees. Thieves are not blind to the fact that hunters carry much more cash and valuable objects than any eco-tourist or rich snob headed to sun city ever will. How you dress or the way you act does not eliminate the likelihood of being victimized when they see you leave the SAPS office with a gun case. The police themselves, are an integral part of these crime rings.

Joberg just isn't a safe place, even by African standards.

I always feel pretty safe when my outfitter picks me up at the airport, but would NEVER get in the vehicle of a 3rd party or take a taxi. In fact, I like to get the hell out of Joberg immediately and head straight to the outfitter's place, rather than shack-up in Joberg for the night.

28 July 2017, 01:34

Victor Watson

quote:
Originally posted by desert dog:
Yes, the tourists are very easy to spot; they are picking up their gun cases from SAPS. After which, many stand around near the "tourist circle" waiting for their ride to the guest house / game ranch.

The thieves are WELL AWARE that most hunters carry large sums of money for tips and trophy fees. Thieves are not blind to the fact that hunters carry much more cash and valuable objects than any eco-tourist or rich snob headed to sun city ever will. How you dress or the way you act does not eliminate the likelihood of being victimized when they see you leave the SAPS office with a gun case. The police themselves, are an integral part of these crime rings.

Joberg just isn't a safe place, even by African standards.

I always feel pretty safe when my outfitter picks me up at the airport, but would NEVER get in the vehicle of a 3rd party or take a taxi. In fact, I like to get the hell out of Joberg immediately and head straight to the outfitter's place, rather than shack-up in Joberg for the night.

Safer still...don't even leave the terminal building. Leave straight away for Port Elizabeth on that hunt you booked in the Karoo / Eastern Cape

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28 July 2017, 01:49

Saeed

We can make all the excuses we like, but, ultimately, only the government can stop this.

And from what we have seen in the past, they are not willing to do it.

How long now we have been hearing of all sorts of trouble at O R TAMBO?

Goods stolen from luggage, people are followed to their homes and robbed etc.

Put a decent person in charge of security, and all this will stop in a month!

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28 July 2017, 06:46

Fjold

quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
We can make all the excuses we like, but, ultimately, only the government can stop this.

And from what we have seen in the past, they are not willing to do it.

How long now we have been hearing of all sorts of trouble at O R TAMBO?

Goods stolen from luggage, people are followed to their homes and robbed etc.

Put a decent person in charge of security, and all this will stop in a month!

Unfortunately finding an honest person appointed by that government is impossible.

Frank

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29 July 2017, 05:02

larryshores

After our safari, we went to Sun City and stayed at the Palace of the Lost City. They have people who drive you to where you want to go. For the most part, these are really nice people. I got into a discussion of OR Tambo and Johannesburg with one of these guys. He remarked that he was a native of the RSA and those places scared him. I found that eye opening. Then he got into a discussion of the effects of all of the problems in the RSA were having on the economy and on tourism. He was basically asking me to say good things about Sun City to other Americans so they might come and visit. Interestingly, the woman when I checked out asked the same thing.

This kind of BS has a heavy price tag. Those idiots need to figure that out and clamp down.

29 July 2017, 06:22

Gale Johnson

I got to spend a bit of time of in the basement of the airport(OR) with the South African police. You could tell every employee of the airport in the room where scared of them, about 10 or so people. If I wasn't so sick I most likely would have been scared also. All they wanted was money, just like everyone else in the airport. After quite a while of them throwing a fit, the nice young man from the airline desk explained the SAPS paperwork to the cops, they just left, without a bribe. I would guess a bunch of people in that shit hole are looking to do you harm, starting from the police on down the line.

29 July 2017, 09:25

Saeed

quote:
Originally posted by Gale Johnson:
I got to spend a bit of time of in the basement of the airport(OR) with the South African police. You could tell every employee of the airport in the room where scared of them, about 10 or so people. If I wasn't so sick I most likely would have been scared also. All they wanted was money, just like everyone else in the airport. After quite a while of them throwing a fit, the nice young man from the airline desk explained the SAPS paperwork to the cops, they just left, without a bribe. I would guess a bunch of people in that shit hole are looking to do you harm, starting from the police on down the line.

This sort of thing starts much higher than just the police.

It has been going on for years and no one is doing anything about it!

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29 July 2017, 20:30

crane

Over the years I have been through JoBerg maybe 14- 15 times, only having hunted RSA once. We are now factoring into our planning how to avoid it completely. So to Larry's point, there is a real cost to the economy. Even on those overnights we left significant dollars in the RSA economy. No more until there is a measurable cleanup. If the will was there it is not that hard.

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30 July 2017, 02:57

Bud Meadows

Joberg of today reminds me of Detroit in the late 1980's. The Chief of Police, William Hart embezzled $2.6 million from the drug forfeiture fund and when he got caught with the cash, said it was his winnings from his weekly 5 cent / quarter poker game. He was supporting THREE mistresses wih his stoken funds. Uniformed Detroit police officers would meet drug dealers' airplanes at Detroit Metro Airport and help them unload drugs. Years later, the Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, extorted millions in kickbacks from city vendors. Luckily Hart and Kwame went to prison for lengthy sentences, but it sounds like the Joberg thieves are supported by thieves at the RSA national level.

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30 July 2017, 12:10

Saeed

quote:
Originally posted by SAF:
This short piece might help !There is a definate move to try and clear up the problems .....
http://ortambo-airport.com/travelguide/safety.php

This is all bullshit!

The authorities are not doing much to stop it, period!

This airport, and all the crimes associated with it, have been going on for so many years.

If the authorities are really serious about stopping them, they would have done so, and that would have been the end of it.

How come visitors to other countries do not have to suffer all these crimes?

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30 July 2017, 14:38

larryshores

I see that piece as good advice but not a move to clean things up.

Hopefully they do finally do something. What shocks me is how the crime suddenly went down in the World Cup. I thought it would likely be a free for all with lots of robberies and murders. Yet it didn't happen. How does the crime suddenly stop ? I can only come up with one answer .

30 July 2017, 15:15

Saeed

quote:
Originally posted by larryshores:
I see that piece as good advice but not a move to clean things up.

Hopefully they do finally do something. What shocks me is how the crime suddenly went down in the World Cup. I thought it would likely be a free for all with lots of robberies and murders. Yet it didn't happen. How does the crime suddenly stop ? I can only come up with one answer .

Exactly!

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01 August 2017, 00:56

L. David Keith

Tambo has always been corrupt! From my first trip many years ago to my last exit in June of this year. No problems going in as my clients and I are always met by Xolile. He's sorted out many problems before and we never have issues when he's around. Be alone and your going to be confronted by numerous pan handlers and SAPS personnel for money. Some are slight but some are intense. As mentioned, it will never stop until serious repercussions are exercised to stop it once and for all. Meanwhile, it's a criminal circus.

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01 August 2017, 08:35

fulvio

Its not just a Tambo related problem.

Being followed and robbed happens in most of the big cities in RSA and other African countries where one is commonly targeted coming or going from the Bank (which is the most common scenario). These incidents hardly ever make the headlines.

In some cases the crooks are more interested in your vehicle which can be taken with or without violence - Nairobi is reputedly notorious for car-jacking.