White tourists’ safety under cloud in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG - The safety of white tourists visiting South Africa for the upcoming FIFA World Cup is under a cloud. There are fear that they could be this summer’s easy targets of racial violence and may even lose their lives in the process.

The brutal murder of white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche has brought South Africa’s simmering racial tensions to the fore.

Over 900,000 white people have fled the country since the onset of racial violence, though there are a few who hace decided to stay behind and fight.

Fifty-one-year-old Lita Fourie is one of those who stayed. She maintains a memorial in remembrance of white farmers who have been murdered as a result of racial violence. Over 3,400 crosses stand sepulchrally along a hillside bearing testimony to years of racial slaughter.

Her own parents were brutally murdered by farm-hands and she lives in constant state of fear so much so, that she has even taught her five-year-old son Neels how to use a hunting rifle. She warns tourists to stay away from the world cup extravaganza for the sake of safety.

“I want everyone to know what is really going on, I think FIFA want to keep this quiet. Every day there is a murder, sometimes three a day. We don’t feel safe here. And it is irresponsible of the organisers to play down the risks and dangers to white football fans.” She told News of The World.

Another victim of racial brutality, Sophia Aucamp, echoes Lita’s view, she recognizes that the violence is not just racially motivated, a lot of the time the perpetrators are looking to make a quick buck at the expense of someone’s life.

“Football fans will come with lots of money, cameras and mobile phones and people here won’t give your life a second thought for a nice watch,” she told the paper. “South Africa is not safe for anyone right now. It could turn nasty. FIFA could end up with a very embarrassing situation if fans are murdered.” she concludes forebodingly. (ANI)