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#21
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 19:33:51 +0200, pecan
wrote: I have to agree with Marc. I don't believe paying bribes is in any way helpful to the welfare of our country. Catherine Thanks Catherine, I apologise for hijacking this thread, but I get SOOOO frikkin' angry when I hear people boasting about how they bribed a cop after they were caught speeding/drink-driving etc. What kind of people think it's OK to complain about rampant crime, but then boast about breaking the law? I've heard people at parties and braais talking openly about how the bribed someone, or diddled the taxman, or ripped off their insurance company, and they do it without shame, and without any recrimminations from the people they're telling the stories to. I have warned people from time to time that I am unimpressed about their boasts of bribery, and for some reason, I'm the one who gets ridiculed. We need to change this attitude if we are ever to address crime properly. What would a normal, civic-minded person do if a paedophile or a rapist boasted about his exploits around the braai? What about burglars, hijackers, con-artists, illegal goods fences, counterfeiters? Cheers, Marc |
#22
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
Marc Lurie schreef:
What kind of people think it's OK to complain about rampant crime, but then boast about breaking the law? Marc, very true and I do agree with you. But what people in Souh Africa really need at this moment is to have the present leaders behave as examples, as role models. Do you think ordinary people will change their attitudes when they see their leaders only taking care of theirselves? Regards, Hans |
#23
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
Wildpicture wrote:
Marc Lurie schreef: What kind of people think it's OK to complain about rampant crime, but then boast about breaking the law? Marc, very true and I do agree with you. But what people in Souh Africa really need at this moment is to have the present leaders behave as examples, as role models. Do you think ordinary people will change their attitudes when they see their leaders only taking care of theirselves? Regards, Hans I think that honesty, like charity, should begin at home. As my mother used to say: two wrongs don't make a right. Catherine -- == Not nuts, just a little eccentric == http://www.africanbush.co.za African Bush Tours and Safaris |
#24
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
Marc Lurie wrote:
On Wed, 07 Feb 2007 19:33:51 +0200, pecan wrote: I have to agree with Marc. I don't believe paying bribes is in any way helpful to the welfare of our country. Catherine Thanks Catherine, I apologise for hijacking this thread, but I get SOOOO frikkin' angry when I hear people boasting about how they bribed a cop after they were caught speeding/drink-driving etc. What kind of people think it's OK to complain about rampant crime, but then boast about breaking the law? I've heard people at parties and braais talking openly about how the bribed someone, or diddled the taxman, or ripped off their insurance company, and they do it without shame, and without any recrimminations from the people they're telling the stories to. I have warned people from time to time that I am unimpressed about their boasts of bribery, and for some reason, I'm the one who gets ridiculed. We need to change this attitude if we are ever to address crime properly. What would a normal, civic-minded person do if a paedophile or a rapist boasted about his exploits around the braai? What about burglars, hijackers, con-artists, illegal goods fences, counterfeiters? Cheers, Marc On a similar note, my pet peeve is people who say that if a woman/girl wears a short skirt, or walks around at night "deserves to be raped". This takes the onus of self-control away from the rapist (or potential rapist) and makes it okay to rape "under certain circumstances". I know that the fact is that it is more likely to occur, but that doesn't make it right. Catherine -- == Not nuts, just a little eccentric == http://www.africanbush.co.za African Bush Tours and Safaris |
#25
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
Yes, it's always a good idea to know something about the law. I'm concerned about what you've just said however. Were they given an official fine for R700, or did the cop simply tel them that the fine was R700? No official fine, R700! My mother said they didn't have that amount of money, then the police officer said how much do you have? R400! That's ok then. Remember this was the 1st time my parents were fined in SA. Beeing dutch they didn't know what to expect. Maybe it wasn't even a real policmen.... I SUGGEST that you tell the officer to rephrase his comment, and make absolutely dure that what he said couldn't possibly be construed as asking for a bribe. I SUGGEST that if the officer again asks for a bribe that you refuse, and take his name and details and report him. I SUGGEST that you don't offer him a bribe. At the end it is his word (and that of his fellow policemen) against my word. We are in a township, he's the black man armed with guns, and I am a white guy, unarmed... If I would be convinced that by following your suggestions traffic would become safer...sure! I SUGGEST that your public disclosure that you paid a bribe to a traffic officer is nothing short of repugnant. The Naked Truth: I think more then 80% of the readers of this NG would find my disclosures useful. What they want to do with it, is everybody's own responsibillity. I SUGGEST that publicly admitting that you committed a criminal offence (and showing a disgusting smugness about it to boot) is EXACTLY what this country doesn't need Appartheid and white supremacy is what this country doesn't need, training police in the fight against organised crime (not speeding 9 km) might be another suggestion? Post your suggestions to the South African Police Department, in your 'fight' against corruption... YOU broke the law by speeding. YOU should pay the penalty, and not contribute to criminal lawlessness by paying bribes. The next time you moan about police ineffectiveness, high crime levels, etc. remember that YOU have nothing to complain about because YOU are part of it. Actually... I am not sure if I broke the law. 7-10 km speeding is discussable in a court of law, because of difference is speedmeters. But to safe time and efforts you could discuss the fine with the policemen. Furthermo I dind't bribe anyone, I paid a fine. And they are negiotable in SA, also when you pay directly at the Magistrate Court. The policemen told me what the fine was, and I paid... for my crime Rape, murder, molest etc. is not comparable with 9 km speeding on a road where there was hardly any traffic. I SUGGEST that you should hang your head in shame. I SUGGEST that you get a life. What I experienced happens every day somewhere in SA, don't blaim the messenger. In Holland I would never try to bribe a policemen, but this is Africa (as you should know) and not a colony of England anymore (thank God for that!). However, thanks for your input, always nice to hear a different point of view. Regards from the sunny bush Corné. www.amukela.com I am not telling that this person should attemt to bribe a police officer, just sharing my experiences. Keep well. Regards from the sunny bush, Corné. www.amukela.com |
#26
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
On a similar note, my pet peeve is people who say that if a woman/girl wears a short skirt, or walks around at night "deserves to be raped". This takes the onus of self-control away from the rapist (or potential rapist) and makes it okay to rape "under certain circumstances". I know that the fact is that it is more likely to occur, but that doesn't make it right. Catherine Hey Catherine, 1 in 5 SA women will be raped some day, that is the sad reality. There is something structural wrong in this country. Easy to blame it on poverty, but I believe it is a combination of factors. Main reason is that 'they' can get away with it. In some cultures women are submissive to men, and that has been abused many times. Keep well.. and excentric Corné. www.amukela.com |
#27
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
I must start this post by once again apologising for hijacking of the
thread. However this is a very important issue and I feel a very pressing need to discuss it publicly. Corne, I don't buy any of your arguments, and I am disappointed in your racist and patronising attitude. I'll address the racism issue first. In one breath you say that white supremacy and apartheid are evil, and then in the next breath you call people "they" and you make comments about being white and the cop being black with a gun. You say that you wouldn't pay a bribe in Holland, "but this is Africa", as if that explains why bribes are a norm. South Africa is (obviously) geographically in Africa, but there is no reason why we have to develop the same levels of kleptocracy or corruption as some other African countries. I suspect that your feeling is that corruption is inevitable, and if your argument is that corruption and poor management is inevitable, because "this is Africa", then the only possible conclusion to make is that you think that Africans are inherently lawless, corrupt, and inefficient people. That, I'm afraid, is racism. The commonly used argument that Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Congo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia etc. all have black governments and "look at how screwed up those countries are" has, at it's core, a presumption that somehow black people from those very different countries are all the same because they are black. The ONLY similarity between a Yoruba from Nigeria and a Shona from Zimbabwe is the colour of their skin, and to ascribe the corruption in both countries to the people having similar traits is pure and simple disgusting racism. By the same token, to ascribe the prosperity of Holland and Finland (chosen because they are roughly the same distance apart as Zimbabwe and Nigeria, and because the Dutch and Finns are about as different from each other as the Yoruba and Shona) on the fact that they are white is also racism. Now, back to the issue of bribery: The speed limit is 120kph - FACT You were trapped doing 129kph - FACT Virtually all speedometers over-read by around 5-8% (I once read that this was done intentionally by manufacturers) That means that your speedometer was reading between 135 and 140kph - FACT Now you complain that you got caught BREAKING the law, while YOU KNOW that you thought that you were actually going FASTER than you really were. That's like complaining that you got bust for stealing sweets when you actually robbed a bank. You broke the law. Plain and simple. And then you broke the law again by paying a bribe. Plain and simple! Regarding your mothers R700 fine: One simple question is all I need ask he Were they given a receipt for the money they paid? If they didn't receive a receipt, then only a completely naive person wouldn't know that they'd just paid a bribe. Regarding your word against the cop's word: I have been in that situation many times, not usually for speeding, but for other little things like forgetting to carry my license, or having an obscured number plate etc. I have had cops asking for bribes (yes, black cops with guns) and I have NEVER paid a bribe in this country. (AND I NEVER WILL). I've never been shot or beaten up for refusing to pay a bribe. I was harassed once on a lonely stretch of road in the Wild Coast by two policemen who stopped me and found that a taillight wasn't working. They tried to intimidate me (yes, it was two black cops with guns, and I was a lone white guy without a gun), but I refused to pay the bribe and INSISTED on the fine. What are they going to do: Shoot you because you insist on the fine? Get real. You paid the bribe because the guy asked for it, and it was less than the value of the fine, not purely because he was a black guy with a gun. In South Africa moving traffic violations are considered to be CRIMINAL acts. Bribery is also a CRIMINAL act. While you're correct that you can't equate the severity of speeding with rape or murder, you cannot excuse any offence either. Is it OK then to excuse someone who robbed a bank and only escaped with R10, but jail someone else who managed to steal R1,000,000? Of course not. In fact, bribery of a policeman is a Schedule One Offence (Defeating or obstructing the course of justice) in terms of the law of the country. The fact that it may happen on a wide scale is immaterial. Murder is also a Schedule One Offence, it is also widespread, but that doesn't mean that you can just go out and murder someone. I still maintain that your smug public disclosure that you bribed a policeman is a disgusting indictment of YOUR character. You wouldn't pay a bribe in your home country, but you're happy to come to mine and pervert my justice system, promote graft and corruption in my police force simply because it's cheaper than paying the fine, and because "this is Africa". Man, that IS arrogant! |
#28
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
Hans,
You're quite correct. I am also distressed that there seems to be a lack of government willingness to tackle certain issues, and a lack of comprehension about the importance of solving certain problems. I am particularly disturbed by the culture of "entitlement" that has become far more aggresive than in the past, and I am very concerned that convicted CRIMINALS like Tony Yengeni and Shabir Sheik (and not-yet convicted criminals like Jacob Zuma) are being treated as virtual heroes or matyrs. However, none of that excuses, for one second, that Corne paid a bribe to a policeman and that is illegal, wrong, and reprehensible. "Wildpicture" wrote in message ... Marc Lurie schreef: What kind of people think it's OK to complain about rampant crime, but then boast about breaking the law? Marc, very true and I do agree with you. But what people in Souh Africa really need at this moment is to have the present leaders behave as examples, as role models. Do you think ordinary people will change their attitudes when they see their leaders only taking care of theirselves? Regards, Hans |
#29
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
I don't buy any of your arguments, and I am disappointed in your racist and patronising attitude. Too bad I don't have your adress, would immediately let my attorney sue you. Patronising is your nickame, isn't? Anyway, I am not going to spend more time in reading your moral, patronising and most of all deformation of character posts. PLOINK! |
#30
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?How about 30 days in South Africa starting next month?
On Feb 11, 1:27 pm, "Corné" wrote:
I don't buy any of your arguments, and I am disappointed in your racist and patronising attitude. Too bad I don't have your adress, would immediately let my attorney sue you. Patronising is your nickame, isn't? Anyway, I am not going to spend more time in reading your moral, patronising and most of all deformation of character posts. PLOINK! Marc, I have to say I'm disappointed at the overwhelming silence from the NG on this. Not only are you right on this matter, but I applaud you for making the point, and for taking the time to defend the point. By way of reference, this isn't the first time Corné has lost the plot in this NG. Kurt |
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