# Why is there so much crime in South Africa?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-so-much-crime-in-south-africa/363060>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 3, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-so-much-crime-in-south-africa/363060 "2006-07-03T15:58:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-so-much-crime-in-south-africa/363060/21 "2006-07-05T20:26:16Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
Also, relocating there would require no adjustment to the north-of-the-equator seasonal cycle. And they’ve got surfing! 🙂  
[/QUOTE]

and, more importantly, rugby and cricket.

Actually, nowadays, most of my friends are in London, with a small subset going the Redmond route instead. But my sister moved to Australia, and my parents may soon follow, and I have family in NZ now.

Me, I’d prefer Cambridgeshire…

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**Author:** ![zahara2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/53a042/32.png) [@zahara2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zahara2)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-so-much-crime-in-south-africa/363060/22 "2006-07-06T01:11:15Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
On that note, I’m reminded of the debate within America, early 19th Century, of helping freed slaves form a colony in Africa (which ultimately bore fruit in the founding of Liberia, of which the less said the better). One reason given on the pro side was that such a state would “form a nucleus for the redemption of the continent.” (I.e., its conversion to Christianity.)  
[/QUOTE]

why the less said the better?

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-so-much-crime-in-south-africa/363060/23 "2006-07-06T02:05:33Z")

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[QUOTE=zahara2]  
why the less said the better?  
[/QUOTE]

Because of [Liberia’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberia) subsequent history. The “Americo-Liberians” acted exactly like white colonists in Africa: They set themselves up as a ruling caste over the natives. And it just got worse from there.

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**Author:** ![zahara2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/53a042/32.png) [@zahara2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zahara2)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-so-much-crime-in-south-africa/363060/24 "2006-07-06T12:47:23Z")

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[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]  
Because of [Liberia’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberia) subsequent history. The “Americo-Liberians” acted exactly like white colonists in Africa: They set themselves up as a ruling caste over the natives. And it just got worse from there.  
[/QUOTE]

That is just one part and view. However, I won’t hijack. Maybe I’ll start a thread on that (think it’ll be my second ever :eek: ).

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