Capetown, SOUTH AFRICA — Currently the Republic of South Africa is suffering from 47% unemployment, and rampant daily national crime. Cool Stuff was warned repeatedly, by South Africans of all ethnicities, not to go out in public with his camera gear. One local put it bluntly, “You will get mobbed by four or five guys that will beat you and take your valuables, even at a tourist favorite, Table Mountain. Do not go out alone, even to a local pub after dark. Be in your hotel room before 7pm at night”

Iron gates are supplemented with scary razor wire to attempt to mitigate theft and vandalism. At the Capetown Jewish Holocaust Museum building, Cool Stuff was asked by staffers to take no exterior building photos out of security concerns. [Photo by Barry Markowitz, courtesy Ruby Red Café]

Even on Capetown TV, a South African courier service promotes assertive proactive and violent protection of their client’s shipments. Longtime South African friends said the national postal service is undependable in delivering small packages.

Cool Stuff followed all the guidelines and decided to share our Samoa News journey with just an iPhone 13. Rules unfortunately do not apply in Capetown’s inner city streets. On and adjacent to the ironically named, “Hope St.” Google Maps led Cool Stuff into danger, as one of the folks in a photo I shot, ran toward Cool Stuff from two blocks away… and this was 2:27p.m in broad daylight.

Local indigenous South Africans said either my long distance image caught them engaging in naughty behavior… or they simply wanted to steal my iPhone.

With only one achilles tendon left, Cool Stuff could not run. One eye was on the aggressor, with a hand on a Ken Onion designed ZT safety device. The aggressor tired before Cool Stuff had to engage an improvised Siva Tau.

The US Mainland is suffering similar breakdowns in respect for and law & order.

Whether you know it or not, our islands are sanctuaries… if we continue to stand up against drugs and thugs.

Cool Stuff is convinced that Samoa’s Churches and our respected older Uces (fa’a recently departed Melila Purcell and Frank Manumaleuga) are critical elements to protecting Samoa’s now precious serenity.  

It starts with the youth appreciating and embracing the Fa’a Samoa, with Samoa’s leaders putting the welfare of the People above personal ambition.

It may take Divine Intervention to cure our unfortunate self inflicted universal human condition. 

soifua