Photographer held at gunpoint in South Africa
A Portuguese photographer, who is in South Africa to cover the World Cup, has been the victim of an armed burglary, it has been revealed today
Author: Olivier Laurent
09 Jun 2010 Tags: 2010 fifa world cup
The photographer, Antonio Simoes, was awakened by two armed robbers this morning. He was held at gunpoint for several minutes, allowing the thieves to collect more than $35,000-worth of photographic equipment, as well as credit cards, passports and cash.
Simoes was staying with two other journalists - a Spanish and a Portuguese - who slept through the ordeal. Speaking to the Associated Press, the Spanish journalist, Miguel Serrano, said "it was absolutely terrifying for him with a gun in his face. They were shouting: 'Sleep!' sleep!'"
The three journalists were staying in a lodge in Magaliesburg, located one hour north of Johannesburg.
South Africa is host to the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on Friday 11 June. Hundreds of thousands of fans and journalists, including hundreds of photographers, have travelled to the country, which continues to have a high crime rate.
The UK's Foreign Office has issued the following warning for anyone travelling to South Africa: "The risk of violent crime to visitors travelling to the main tourist destinations is generally low. However, there may be an increase in opportunistic crime during the World Cup."
For more details, visit the Foreign Office website.
Comments
Photographer held at gun point in south Africa no suprise.
Why does this incident even warrant comment? Johannesburg has long been noted as one of the worlds centres for violence and crime. All the countries of Southern Africa have been troubled with on going crime and an attitude of almost ambivalence towards both the act of theft and acts of violence. The rest of the world has ignored the violence of southern Africa, be it the violence and thievery of say the Mugabi regime or the street violence that dictates it is unsafe to stop at a red light in a city centre for fear of theft, and in so doing has condoned what is happening in parts of the sub continent. So why are we surprised that an individual, who displays what is a fortunes worth of equipment to most south africans tantalisingly around his neck, is robbed? The answer is we should not be... we should however be surprised that an event like the world cup is being held in a country with such a record of criminal violence, a country that cannot afford to house its own people or where those people will not be able to afford a ticket to attend the event they are hosting and eventually paying for. No, the real surprise will be if this is the only case of violent theft in the coming world cup weeks.
A country with the highest murder rate in the world, highest HIV/Aids infection rate in the world, with a quarter of the population living on welfare, 40% unemployment, and only 1 in 9 people paying income tax should not be hosting such an event. We should be investing in job creation, education, infrastructure and medical services.
I have read elsewhere that the two thieves were apprehended the following day and most of the stolen gear was recovered. Perhaps someone could follow up this story?
A friend of mine was robbed of his camera in the London underground, another mugged in Tottenham Rd.
Unfortunately you will have crime whereever there are rich pickings for criminals. I have lived in SA for almost 60 years and the only loss I have had was when someone stole the badge off my wife's Polo.
Crime is everywhere, you just have to take care - and insurance.
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