I feel for you and have heard about the violence over there. This is very sad and doesn't have to happen. Yes, I've talked with friends who either live there now or did in the past and they concur with what you're saying.

Throughout history countries have had terrible violence. Sadly, often the best choice is to make plans to leave. Sure that is easy to say and can be very difficult. My ancestors (many of them) saw what was happening in their country and decided to hop on a boat and get out of there. They can to a land of opportunity in what was called The New World, which eventually became the United States.

Today we have great problems here and they need to be resolved. We always have to bear in mind that we can't think things will stay the same. The bottom line is that we have to take charge of our own lives and sometimes take strong measures, like leaving the land where we were born. I know people who are doing that now, leaving the USA.

I wish you the best, @anneke. Hope things get better for you, whatever happens in SA.