US Tourists Vow Never To Visit Durban Again After Daylight Robbery
Two United States (US) tourists have vowed not to visit Durban ever again after a daylight robbery in the South African city on Sunday.
Peter Livingston, 71, and George Eighmey, 81, were robbed in broad daylight on Sunday in the Durban CBD while taking in the sights.
The US tourists told IOL News that they had arrived in South Africa in December and decided to visit Durban for the weekend.
They had been staying at an Airbnb on the beachfront. Livingston said:
We decided to walk to the Botanical Gardens and hoped to see some of downtown Durban as well.
On our return, as we were walking on Xuma Street, just west of the Workshop Shopping Centre, near an area filled with minivan taxis, we were assaulted in broad daylight, by eight or nine young men.
They forced us to the ground and stole our cellphones and billfolds.
They sat or stood on my friend’s legs and arms to prevent resistance.
They literally tore my pants open struggling for my phone.
There were two police officers across the street. We shouted for help, but no one did anything.
He said the incident occurred in front of numerous street vendors and a lot of other pedestrians.
Livingston said they were grateful they did not require any medical attention. He added:
We don’t know how to make a report and the indifference of the police at the scene did not inspire confidence.
Needless to say, this will be our last trip to Durban. We will advise our friends not to come here either. It is too unsafe.
On Friday, Police Minister Bheki Cele painted a grim picture of the country’s crime statistics from October to December, with most crimes on the increase.
Due to high murder rates, Cape Town, Mandela Bay, Durban and Johannesburg were ranked among the top 50 most violent cities in the world in 2022.
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