So what's the status of the unrest in RSA??? I read that there have been "an orgy of violence" since some Zim refugees are coming in.

Seems like most of the problems were in the poorer parts of Joburg....... at least according to the online news coming out of SA.

Safe as normal the unrest is in the black township around Johannesburg and slowly spreading to other townships in Gauteng. So it will not effect any tourist in the country.

Absoluely no need to worry about it.

I think people need to think a little about the goings on in RSA. The entire country is not in flames with machete wielding gangs. I lived about 30 minutes drive from where the LA riots occurred. During it, we would sit, eat dinner and watch it happen on the television everynight as if we were watching something that was a million miles away. A week after it was over, I was there in Englewood/LA taking my exams for my contractors license. I saw burned out buildings,stopped and had lunch, etc. and had no problems at all. I'm not saying that if your in the middle of it you dont have a problem, just be aware that the entire country is not on fire so to speak. I'd go in a heartbeat.

The problems are confined to a few Black townships. Life goes on as normal for most South Africans. Travellers will be quite safe. Unless of course, you're Black, Zimbabwean or Mozambiquean & decide to tour the townships.

quote:

So what's the status of the unrest in RSA??? I read that there have been "an orgy of violence" since some Zim refugees are coming in.

Remember, my friends. You didn't hear that from me!



I've already deleted the Department of State website from my favorites and replaced it with MidwayUSA.

Although my experience in very limited, I felt much safer at the Harare airport (and for that matter in Zim) than I did in Jo-Burg and South Africa. The way the "locals" in SA "looked" at me was just a bit concerning. That being said, I would still go back to either country TOMORROW!!!! We have far more dangerous areas in the various metropolitan areas of the States!!

I'm not a Zim refugee, so I'm not worried!

Jeff

I talked with Barry, the owner of Nitro Safaris the day I posted this. His reply was that there are guards w/ M-16's, a 16' cyclone fence and razor wire around the airport. and this quote, "We are not going to let anything happen to our tourists"!