Muggings

The first couple of weeks were fairly quiet but once orientation and registration were over and the school year began in earnest the muggings began to happen in greater frequency. Obs (my neighbourhood) is touted as a fairly sketchy neighbourhood but there have been very few muggings here despite the nearby Bishop St. referred to as Robber St. It seems almost as if people are a little more on edge and aware here to begin with and therefore less likely to be put in compromising situations. That being said a couple of friends have had their own unfortunate experiences: chased once until their street (and the building security guard) and robbed of twenty rand ($4) (and a pair of socks) the second time. However, the violation of personal space is the bigger issue and they have since rented a car for the remainder of their time here; I personally think this is quite unfortunate since one should be able to walk the two or three blocks home from the pub rather than trying to find parking and a designated driver every time you want to go out. The neighbourhoods of Rondebosch and Rosebank, located just below the university, are thought of as the safer places but the muggers are well aware of this and have pulled off several successful muggings. The internationals stand out and even (or especially) when they travel in groups of four or so at reasonable hours three muggers with a gun have no problems relieving them of cameras, phones and cash. I get the feeling that I particularly stand out as someone to approach to ask for money and am now able to see them coming from twenty metres away. The line, “Sorry, no” has become such a rote response that I felt somewhat abashed when a women asked me the time and I just kept walking forcing her to repeat herself, but louder. Acknowledgement seems to equate empowerment so therefore, rude as it feels, the best action seems to be to keep walking and ignore them. Any speech of course immediately isolates you as a foreigner. One friend was mugged in Durban before she arrived in Cape Town and just recently had her second floor apartment broken into (within a locked compound, likely an inside job). I feel increasingly fortunate that my place is on a very busy, well-lit street enabling me to walk home alone from late nights at the bar. That’s only two blocks and I leave everything but some rand at home; why bother allowing for more things to be lost? Conclusion: carry as little with you as possible and look confident no matter where you are going or how well you know the route. Image carries a lot of weight here.