US Tourists Swear Off Durban After Getting Mugged in Broad Daylight, SA Not Surprised: “Who Can Blame Them?”

• A pair of elderly tourists from the US have vowed never to return to Durban after being mugged in broad daylight on Sunday
• One of the tourists claimed that two SAPS officers were across the street during the mugging but did nothing to help
• South Africans questioned how government plans to bolster tourism when the country isn't even safe to visit

DURBAN - A harrowing mugging in the CBD of Durban has turned elderly US tourists off of the coastal city for good.

Peter Livingston and George Eighmeny were on a weekend visit to Durban when they were robbed in broad daylight on Sunday, 19 February.

Elderly US tourists mugged while walking back from Botanical Gardens in Durban

According to Livingston, the pair have been in South Africa since December and decided to visit Durban for a weekend.

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The US tourists had set their hearts on seeing the sights the coastal city had to offer and decided to walk to the Botanical Gardens.

On their way back from the gardens, the duo were walking near a taxi rank when eight or nine men accosted them.

Livingston told IOL how they were forced to the ground and relieved of their cellphones and wallets.

The elderly man said:

“They literally tore my pants open struggling for my phone.”

Two SAPS officers allegedly watched as the tourists were mugged

Livingston claims the mugging happened in full view of street vendors and other pedestrians.

There were allegedly also two SAPS officers across the street who sat by and let the mugging unfold undisturbed. Livingston said the travellers shouted for help, but no one came to their aid.

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It's for this reason that the pair did not report the mugging.

Levingston said:

"The indifference of the police at the scene did not inspire confidence."

The US tourists' mugging is a poor indictment of the crime rate in SA, which, according to the latest crime stats, is rising at an alarming rate.

KwaZulu-Natal was the front-runner for the most murders committed in SA, with 1 821 killings recorded between October and December 2022, TimesLIVE reported.

South Africans don't blame US tourists for vowing off Durban after being mugged

Citizens have questioned how government plans to boost tourism when crime runs rampant in the country.

Below are some comments:

@LandOfBlackOuts asked:

"@LindiweSisuluSA, how does this look for your R1bn of our taxpayer's money?"

@francis_nkosi complained:

"Unfortunately, we are stuck and can't vow not to live here again..."

@GreenyZA claimed:

"Robbed in broad daylight in Durban... This tourist is bloody lucky to still be able to 'vow'. He's lucky he was not sent home in a body bag!"

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@MalaFide777 speculated:

"Cops were prob the lookouts for the robbers..."

SA crime stats: Police Minister Bheki Cele reveals 7 555 murders and 15 545 rapes committed in 3 months

In another story, Briefly News reported that Police Minister Bheki Cele delivered the latest quarterly crime statistics on Friday, 17 February.

The statistics showed a concerning increase in murders and sexual assaults between 1 October and 31 December 2022.

The crime stats show that 7 555 murders were committed in the last three months of 2023.

Source: Briefly News