Johannesbury

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I arrived in Johannesburg just after 4pm local time and as I got off the plane I noticed changes immediately, all the airport security police were black Africans, in fact all through passport control etc., I didn't see one white person working at the airport. I was also amazed just how easy it was to enter the country; no documentation to complete, just a quick stamp in the passport, collect bags, and out, no searches, bio security etc.
I was met by some old friends I first met when I lived in Jo'burg. it was great to catch up with them. I stayed with them for 3 nights, they were generous and gracious hosts, they drove me around to show me some of the places I had once lived, worked and hung out.
I recognized nothing, everything had changed so much. Apart from the normal city development one would expect, houses that once had small fences or walls were now surrounded by 2 mtr high walls topped with razor wire or electrified wire, and everyone has large automatic gates into their property, no one gets out of the car to open gates. Some of the residential street have manned barriers and some house have their own security guard sitting outside on the pavement.
My friends moved about a year ago and now live in a lovely home in a security boomed area with rapid response and patrols, they are now sleeping better at night. It is like a small oasis, but safety is not 100% guaranteed. They have their own successful business, the children go to private schools, they have regular weekends and holidays away in other parts of SA and abroad, and the go about their normal everyday lives and in fact have a very good lifestyle, but must always watch their backs. Many white South Africans continue to leave, I guess the tipping point is different for everyone.
The official unemployment rate is 25%, but this does not include the thousands of illegal immigrants that stream over the borders everyday from Zimbabwe, Congo, Nigeria etc with no money, no work and with out having health checks.
Apart from the townships and squatter camps, alot of the suburbs are now taken over by the illegal immigrants, they move into an empty house as many as 10 per room, the properties are neglected and damaged, there is rubbish everywhere and some areas are now considered no go areas as it is no safe.
The government hospitals are at breaking point, and the SA locals believe the immigrants are taking their jobs and there has been outbreaks of xenophobia. Many believe it is only going to get worse and think the government should close the borders, but as yet this has not been done.
The violence and crime is unbelievable, there has always been violence in SA; tribe on tribe, black on white, white on black, but this feels different; very young, very old, black, white, male, female, rich or poor, there is no discrimination and it is brutal. The stories one hears are not for these pages. No-one seems to know what to do about this worsening situation, one must wonder how much longer this country can sustain it.
I will not be sorry to leave Johannesburg.

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