My colleagues came to my home in Constantia for a retreat this past week. One of my close friends who is also a member of the staff team, and is black, went for a walk down a nearby greenbelt, as we were all encouraged to spend time on our own. He was approached by the local security company as he sat next to a pond, and asked what he was doing there. The security guard apologised, and said he just had to ask because someone had called and said there was a ‘suspicious looking person’ walking on the greenbelt.
I could do the usual ‘I am outraged’ speech, which would be true. Or I could say “I am saddened”, which would also be true. My heart stopped for a second when he told me about the incident. I could say “I am embarrassed”, because I am. I think of the welcome I have received in places where I stand out because of my pale skin. Such overwhelming interest and welcome! I could cry “Unfair” as I have so many times when I hear of incidents like this, which would be fair because it is unjust. There is no excuse for behaviour like this and it does nothing for race relations, apart from it being just plain wrong.
But what I am going to say is “Enough is enough”, because it is. The entitlement of those who get to decide who walks where freely in ‘leafy areas’, and who does not, is untenable, bizarre and has to change. The only suspicious looking thing about Constantia right now is how consistently pale those who enjoy it freely are in a country of so many different skin tones.
reflectionsofaragamuffin 
I absolutely understand the embarrassment, unfairness and injustice of this.
However, we do have to be realistic about the amount of crime in this area and which racial group is mostly at work committing these crimes.
We also have to acknowledge that there have been quite a few incidents along this greenbelt, including a couple of very scary situations that have been very threatening to us here at Eikedal. Not too long ago, we had 5 black men hiding in our garden, watching our homes, who then went on to stab a woman walking her dog on the greenbelt [they were arrested later that day after several attempts at robbery, and they were caught with knives! These guys were in our garden!]
We have had a break in upstairs from someone who escaped through the greenbelt; I have called ADT several times because of intruders on the property….who then escape along the greenbelt. Or enter the property through the greenbelt.
Also remember we recently had the two black men appearing near your home, apparently with a gun, asking questions about you in the cottage.
When you read the Constantia Watch crime reports, the greenbelts play quite a large role in facilitating criminal access to homes, escape routes, or hideaways for either the criminal or his loot!
The blame for these awful injustices, as your friend experienced, lies solely with the criminals. Criminals make life unfair, unjust, and they do fuel prejudice, suspicion, and sometimes, inappropriate or excessive vigilance.
You know, I was just thinking today about what an interesting and multi-coloured area Constantia is, and what a fascinating history that has produced all the different types of people I encounter around here.
At my running club, we have quite a lot of members of different racial groups who live in this area. On my early morning runs and my life around Constantia, I notice that there are people of every race living, working and socialising in this suburb. Just look at the little Constantia School at Ladies Mile Extension. Or all the people who live and work on the farms around Constantia, in decent homes, with farm buses taking their children to the local school. They might not own their properties, but neither do I! We go to pubs and restaurants close to home regularly, and I cannot say that this area is suspiciously and consistently pale!
My concern is pale males are never suspicious. No matter what or where they are. They can not be criminals because stats say so? Hmmm.
I am part of every neighborhood watch forum in my area and am always shocked at what constitutes suspicious where black people are concerned. A family walking their kid was flagged and investigated. Should I stop taking walks with my child to ease my paler neighbours fears or subject myself to questioning each time I do because stats say I am a criminal?
My understanding of the above article is that he was walking freely and sitting next to a pond and not creeping and hiding. Still suspicious. There is no winning here. According to the above comment all black people must be investigated because they could be armed and dangerous. And if they come out clean, they must understand that other blacks are criminals, right?
Thank you for being fed up writer, you have no idea how angering it is to be treated like an intruder in your own neighbourhood.
I do not enjoy the injustice, prejudice, and unfairness in our society either. No matter which race displays it. I find it abhorrent.
I have never taken well to the assumptions in the past that because I am white, I am racist, prejudiced and feel superior to non-white people. I do not like non-white people having certain ideas about me because I am white. But, I cannot blame them. I never once voted for the National Party and my sense of revulsion at prejudice and racism started at the very young age of 6 with an incident in my neighbourhood. I never lost my disgust for the idea of racial superiority.
If a black person now, however, assumes the worst about me, I have to take it on the chin. The behaviour of a large number of white people has formed his/her thinking and who can blame him/her?
Nearly every second day, I receive Constantia Watch reports detailing horrible crimes taking place in this area, the vast majority of the perpetrators being males of colour.
We are told to be vigilant and on the look out. Residents, domestic workers, and employees are being threatened, tied up, traumatised or hurt.
Sooner or later inappropriate vigilance or suspicion will surface. I will say it again….it is the fault of the criminals who fuel suspicion, fear, prejudice, and over enthusiastic alertness.
What actually should have happened in this case, and who was at fault? If this is an anger producing incident, let us talk about the preferred chain of events.
Should the woman who called security not have done that? I have got used to the people who live and work around here, of all races. I have called ADT because of loitering white people I have never seen before; I have called Law Enforcement because of inconsiderate white dog owners; I have complained to security guards because of bad behaviour from white scoundrels….
Perhaps she had never seen him before and because we are used to men walking or driving around looking at houses before the crowbar gang moves in, perhaps she thought, better safe than sorry. Perhaps she felt terrible doing it, but decided to rather err on the side of caution to thwart a potential crime.
Should the security guard [who is performing his job] have refused to approach the man in question after being alerted?
What should have happened? What should we all do in future to avoid this? Just keep quiet to avoid offending an innocent person? Some of my non-white friends would call this folly, in the extreme!
And again, I do not see this as a pale community who want to pull up a draw bridge to anybody of colour. This morning at Constantia Village Mall, I saw black ladies loading their cars with Woolies/PnP shopping; non-white people having coffee in Seattle Coffee, clothes shopping, in the bank, having manicures…..
Please also consider that this sad, unfair, unjust incident happened because EVERY day the people in this area [and elsewhere] are being subjected to the unfairness, the injustice and the downright undeserved trauma of having homes, cars, businesses broken into, their possessions stolen, and their lives threatened.
There is unfairness, offence, and gross injustice in that too….
https://www.popularresistance.org/i-dont-discuss-racism-with-white-people/
Please also consider the small matter of the grand theft that took place when many South Africans were summarily removed from Constantia in terms of the Group Areas Act. The victims were all “people of colour”.