Happily, I don't seem to be on to many people's forward list for chain emails - but every now and then one gets through.

Now part of what bugs me with these things is you never quite know whether the story is genuine or not, or when it started. At least the one below has a date, which means it's taken about 4 months to get to me. If the world ever ends, I'll probably be the last person to know. How on earth did Gauteng get into a panic about tornadoes and the like in less than a day?

But I digress. This mail is rather shocking, disappointing and plain sad. I've got no idea if there is any truth in it, but it's a no-win situation.

Either it's true in which case we have some pretty sorry citizens in our country, or it is a work of fiction, in which case we have some pretty sorry citizens in this country.

I guess the questions is - who are our sorry citizens?

Hi everyone,

I used to love South Africa, I used to say I'd never leave... my rose-tinted glasses were shattered last month!

- Monday morning 23/07/2007 my mom was driving to work when she hit a pedestrian.
- the pedestrian seemed fine, however, the other black people started stoning my mom's car.
- she has a witness, a man who hooted at her to go - then followed her to the closest garage and told my mom to go to the police
- my mom was so upset, she then got my brother to take her to the police station to make a statement
- the superintendent at the station took the statement and told my mom not to worry, seeing as the pedestrian was fine and hadn't come forward with a charge, nothing would come of it
- my mom went to work - only to have a police van full of officers pitch at her office to arrest her!
- As she hysterically tried to call me to say they were taking her to Roodepoort Police Station, they took her phone from her and simply threw her into the van. On route to the station they asked my mom for a bribe, my mom never had cash on her - then they all started laughing at her and told her what a useless white she is.
- I raced to the police station and immediately got hold of a lawyer.... the lawyer was furious!
- There was no charge! no pedestrian! and yet my mother was thrown in a cell - with a convict!
- the convict told my mom she organised for other convicts to be let into the cell to rape and beat my mom that night
- when fingerprints were taken my mom asked for some toilet paper and was told to wipe her hands on her effing hand bag!
When I was at the police station I was treated with total disregard by the black police officers - who looked at me like something someone scraped off the bottom of their shoe!

Long story short, this entire nightmare cost four thousand rand in lawyer fees and bail to get my mom out. The lawyer knew to act quickly to ensure that my mom did not stay in overnight. The case was thrown out of court on Tuesday morning, as there was no case! My mom was put through hell and back by our joke of a police force - who should surely to God use their manpower where it's so desperately needed in our country.

My lawyer confirmed that white people are being victimised. The theory is that we have the money to waste on bribes and bail!
Please ensure that you have the number of a lawyer... the police aim to keep you in jail for at least one night - they only need one night to get you raped and beaten by other convicts - so that they got their revenge against whites.

My mom is terrorised and currently undergoing counseling...And simply wants to forget the whole thing. But I refuse to let more people be victimised by an institution that's supposed to protect us!

ALWAYS HAVE A LAWYERS NUMBER - and warn everyone you know to keep the number of a lawyer handy, as you have to act speedily to avoid staying even one night! (we've all heard scary stories about traffic officers arresting people without the necessary legal documents)

Racism is an ugly thing South Africans are trying hard to get rid of, yet racism against white people is so clearly evident.
God help us... let's pray we don't end up like Zim, as our government and law enforcement seem set on sending us in the same direction!

Jacqui
Johannesburg, SA