It's difficult not to get carried away by headlines today that the UK is more violent than South Africa. On the one hand it is easy to become filled with smug satisfaction that the milk is turning sour and the honey has dried up in the Promised Land - especially for those saffagettes who have to suffa the insuffarable whingers.
On the other hand, South Africa's crime statistics are still very high - although there have been news reports about government putting measures in place to fight it. This week, deputy police minister
Fikile Mbalula prolifigated Operation Wanya Tsotsi - which a News24 language expert translates to "You will shit, criminal!". According to an article in today's The Times, the UK registered 2034 incidents per 100,000 compared with South Africa’s 1609.
Let's not fool ourselves. 1609 per 100,000 is still a shocking statistic. But at least it's not 2034.
- Picture sourced from the Sowetan.
Saffanisms (AKA buzzwords)
Saffa (n): South Africans. Usually used to describe expats (fondly)
Saffagette (n): A South African whose vote is reserved for Mzansi, the Motherland. A Saffagette is not an ostrich. A Saffagette has a vote and is determined to stand in a queue to cast it.
Saffavescence (n): Developed from saffervescence, which is a slang derivative of effervescence. Saffavescence means awesome, amazing - in a South African sense of course.
Saffaring (v): Being patriotic.
Suffaring (v): Having to listen to others not being patriotic.
On the other hand, South Africa's crime statistics are still very high - although there have been news reports about government putting measures in place to fight it. This week, deputy police minister Fikile Mbalula prolifigated Operation Wanya Tsotsi - which a News24 language expert translates to "You will shit, criminal!". According to an article in today's The Times, the UK registered 2034 incidents per 100,000 compared with South Africa’s 1609.
