"PAR PITIE, VENEZ ! "

La situation désastreuse de l'Afrique du Sud ? Très exagérée, et du moins sans risque majeur pour les touristes. Faites pas chier, venez ! Ils se tuent, se volent et se violent surtout entre eux !

Much has been said in the build-up to the World Cup about South Africa's crime problem and the threats to visiting supporters. While crime is a serious problem here, it needs to be put in perspective. The country's murder rate has decreased from 67.9 per 100,000 in 1995 to 37.3 in 2009. That is an overall decrease of about 44 per cent. Of course, this figure is still extremely high when compared to the global homicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 and, in real terms, amounts to almost 50 murders per day. However, in almost 80 per cent of murders, the victim and killer are known to each other – in other words, it is within a social context that poses no direct threat to strangers. The same can be said for other so-called "social fabric" crimes such as rape, assault and attempted murder.

Au pire, tout ce que vous devez faire, c'est vous montrer très très discrets. Pensez à marcher comme si vos articulations étaient en mousse, à vous recouvrir de cirage, il se peut que ça fasse l'affaire :

Visitors to the World Cup can reduce their chances of falling victim to crime by following a few guidelines. Among these is the golden rule "not to advertise". Outside the sporting environment, try not to show that you are a tourist; do not visibly carry expensive items (unless you are part of a group where protection is in numbers); and ask advice at your hotel or guesthouse about which areas to avoid.

Allez, bon voyage dans la Nation Arc-en-ciel !