SA 'cyberspace crime war' hots up - Cape Argus

SA 'cyberspace crime war' hots up

August 24 2006 at 03:50PM

By Nathalie Rosa Bucher and Natasha Prince

A huge global audience is following a row being fought in cyberspace between weblog warriors Neil Watson and rival Pieter Boshoff about crime in South Africa.

The most recent clash has involved a pro-South Africa statement by retail magnate Raymond Ackerman.

Watson's Crime Expo SA website focuses critical attention on crime in South Africa, and has been widely criticised for its stance - which has attracted much support from the political right - while Boshoff's realsouthafrica site presents itself as the voice of moderation and optimism.

Following a pro-South Africa statement made by Ackerman, endorsing the thrust of Boshoff's pro-South Africa campaign, Watson lashed out at both men. But Pick 'n Pay deputy chairman David Robins said it was "not clear to us that either Mr Boshoff's statement or Mr Ackerman's quote in any way supports crime and it is not immediately evident why anyone would have concluded this".

Whether it makes sense or not has not deterred Watson. He has gone as far as calling for a boycott of Pick 'n Pay and urging supporters of his "crime expo in South Africa" campaign to send email and SMS messages to the chain.

"We will not buy from Pick 'n Pay any longer," a message posted on the site reads, "and will also demonstrate against the attitude of Ackerman. Bring your Pick 'n Pay trolley to the November 4 action (a Crime Expo rally) and fill it with bloodstained dolls."

June Hanks of the supermarket chain said she had received many letters and SMSes: "Most of them, however, said they thought this was strange. We engaged with these queries and sent out the full statement made by Mr Ackerman." Hanks said neither Ackerman's nor the company's image or reputation had been severely affected.

But some feel Watson's site is doing harm.

Martine Schaffer, managing director of Homecoming Revolution, which encourages and helps South Africans around the world to return home, said: "The answers are not addressed. By exposing our problems and saying to foreigners, 'Don't come', the problem is made worse. Tourism and investment are our saving grace."

Crime Expo SA claims to "provide victims of violent crime as well as friends and families of the slaughtered, with an opportunity to collectively register their anger and provide the world with a preview of violent South Africa".

Watson's professed aim is to "get the government to stabilise violent crime to acceptable levels, otherwise World Soccer 2010 fans are going to step into hell on earth!"

Watson's site, which features reports on serious crimes, also carries provocative images. A pulsating logo, formed by the outline of the country with a dripping red X slashed through it, dominates the home page. The page is topped by a coil of barbed wire.

Earlier this year, Watson agreed to take up an offer by ID deputy leader Simon Grindrod to pay for a one-way ticket out of South Africa.
Watson agreed to the offer, but only if it included his family and cat.

Schaffer argued that positive sites such as eblockcommunity took a different approach. The site made use of technology to fight crime and allowed users to log on and "collectively look after their tourists and themselves".

Tyrone Seale, general manager of the communication resource centre of the International Marketing Council of South Africa, argued that even though violent crime remained a serious issue, the government planned to launch a national anti-crime campaign and the recent cabinet lekgotla were positive signs.

"Watson does not accommodate these developments. By discouraging people from coming or investing here, he actually adds to the problem," Seale said.

"The reaction of South Africans setting up counter sites, however, is encouraging."

http://www.iol.za.org/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3015&art_id=vn20060824102616909C333266