US, UK, Canada Warn Travellers About Violent Crime and Scams if Visiting South Africa, Locals React
- Several countries have issued travel warnings to their citizens ahead of the busy Easter holiday period in South Africa
- The United States of America warned that there were cases of terrorism in South Africa, in addition to the high crime rate
- South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the warnings, with some noting how it reflected in the country's image
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
As the Easter weekend steadily approaches, numerous countries have issued warnings to their citizens about visiting South Africa.
Canada, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom have urged citizens to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to the African country ahead of the Easter holiday period.
The countries flagged issues of violent crime, kidnappings, scams and unrest as serious concerns in South Africa.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
US warns citizens about terrorism
The US has South Africa on a Level 2 advisory, noting the high crime, unrest, kidnapping, and even terrorism.
The country’s travel warning said there was a possibility of terrorist violence in the country, while adding that protests and strikes could ‘start suddenly, and interrupt traffic, transportation, and other services, and turn violent.’
The US also warned about kidnappings, saying that foreign nationals were targeted by kidnappers who wanted to steal their money.
“In some cases, victims are reportedly forced to hand over bank cards, passwords, or withdraw cash before being released,” the travel advisory warned.
US employees also face restrictions
The advisory didn’t just relate to visitors coming to South Africa, but also employees working in the country.
According to the notice, employees must obtain special authorisation to visit many of the informal settlements in and around Cape Town, and, if granted permission, must use ‘fully armoured vehicles’ and travel only during limited weekday hours.
Canada warns about violent crimes
Canada’s travel advisory warned about the violent crime, which it said occurred frequently and involved foreigners. The advisory warned that these crimes included burglaries, armed robberies, carjackings, assaults, murders, and armed robberies.
Canada also warned that foreigners may be specifically targeted, saying that these situations can vary depending on the location and the time of day.
It also has specific warnings about people being followed after arriving at the airport and then either being robbed along the way or once they get to their destination.
UK warns about scams and frauds
While the UK raised concerns about violent crimes as well, it also stressed that citizens could fall victim to fraud and scams.
The advisory noted that there were scams linked to business opportunities, VISA services, and even offers of romance and friendships.
The UK also flagged card skimming, confidence scams, fake visa agents, and criminals posing as officials as major concerns.
South Africans share mixed reactions to the warnings
Social media users weighed in on the travel advisories, sharing varied reactions to them.
@GamsahabnidaL said:
“I wish the warnings were from our annoying neighbours.”
@UnityInSA noted:
“Not good for our tourism. Our crime levels are way too high. And our crime is very violent. I just wish the Government could get its act together and sort out crime once and for all. The ANC have been sleeping on crime for a long time.”
@Prettyboy_056 stated:
“Good, let us be alone for some time. We will invite them when we're ready.”
@KarenBa13579679 said:
“You see, now this is what you get under the ANC.”
@Nmashaba said:
“This is really embarrassing. I cannot believe this is us.”
@muzvezve78 added:
“South Africa is a crime zone. Those people who are saying that don't care are fools. They don't know how tourism contributes towards a country’s GDP.”
@MzooLukhozi asked:
“Why has Nigeria never issued anything for their citizens?”
Canadian government warns of widespread violent crime
Briefly News previously reported that the Canadian government released a travel advisory to citizens about South Africa.
The advisory warned about how dangerous it is in the country, and the number of violent crimes, with foreigners targeted in many cases.
Social media users were left divided by the claims, as some defended South Africa, and others agreed with Canada's warnings.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
