Something almost happened today I dread about on a daily basis here in Windhoek.
When I walk to the post office by work I think about it. When I walk to the craft center for lunch I think about it. When I’m coming home from the grocery store I think about it. When I’m walking home from work again I think about it.
It’s a brief thought. But the weight is heavy.
“This could be the trip where I’m mugged. How can I best prevent this or minimize the possible loss?”
Then I carry on. I don’t want fear to overshadow my experiences here.
It’s not a pleasant thought, but I try to bury it deep and see the other side and hope I remain on the good grace of people.
But lets face facts, I’m living in a country with one of the worst income gaps in the world and it breeds conflict and the constant threat of petty theft.
The thought of being mugged is a constant threat here in Windhoek. And it’s a completely different story when it almost happens to you vs. indirect stories. I can’t begin to count how many times people have warned me about the taxi drivers and such.
My most recent story I can share from my friends happened in the same area where my mugging almost occurred.
Four Germans were mugged in daylight last Thursday about three blocks from my place by a group of 10 guys. Shoes, wallets, passports, and everything -all gone.
There is obviously a group targeting Klein Windhoek where I live.
My landlords even told me about a The Namibian news story documenting and warning people in our area about the same group I saw. And the story also warns one to be careful of a grey corolla car with no plates. The same one I saw…
It’s a constant mind game one plays thinking about the threat of being mugged. But where do you draw the line in your mind?
There is a part of you saying, “Ah it won’t happen” and “Don’t think everyone is out to get you.” But everyone warns you with stories of friends or direct experiences about being mugged. Luckily, each story I hear has certain themes and signs that can be a future signal for me.
So here is my story.
I was walking home after going to work to briefly check my email on Sunday, then I was going to meet my friend Uapii and go pick up Tina for a short Katutura tour. It was 3:30 and a pleasant day to be out walking. And I had many good thoughts and memories from my recent trip with Tina and our new friend Lisa with Travel Bug Safari to Deadvei.
There are two busy streets that I walk on when I’m going home by foot or driving. I was just crossing Robert Mugabee Ave. maybe 60 meters or so away from work and then a feeling of something dark came over me.
I’m an intuitive guy and was sure feeling something.
I saw two cabs driving in the direction toward the mall filled with 7 guys in total.
I knew right away from previous experiences, it is damn near impossible to catch a cab on any given Sunday. So for me to see two cabs tailing each other -was my first sign of trouble.
Muggers here work in pairs and networks. And with a car full of all guys -that was my second warning sign. You never enter a cab with another guy inside. You often hear stories about groups jumping out of vans and taxis and mugging people too.
Before I was out of view of Robert Mugabe, I saw out of the corner of my eye that the two cars were pulling a U turn and heading my way up Heinitzburg Street. Then I knew things were on, but I carried on like I didn’t notice anything initially.
The two cars drove right by me and went to the next street where they could turn out of my view. There was a long city block separating us luckily. But the last cab let two guys out and they started walking toward my direction. Once I saw the two guys come out I took about 5 more steps at their same pace and then stopped. Looked right at them and in the process they stopped too.
So like in poker, I called the “bluff” of two casual guys walking down the street and taking a joy ride in their friend’s taxi. But it didn’t change the high stake situation I was facing.
Looking back, panic didn’t initially run over me. I was actually infuriated about what was happening, but I’m not a fighter nor do I want to use my pepper sprays or tazers [things all my friends here carry sadly] on anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary.
So I vented a little steam.
I don’t know what came over me, but I flipped them off, spat on the ground, and turned around and started walking to Robert Mugabe. Then I started walking backwards to see if they were going to chase and the two guys showed body signals demonstrating disappoint. They started walking back to their taxis.
Once I was across Robert Mugabee, I pulled out the work keys and just ran to the gate and let myself in.
My colleague Keith gave me a ride home. Luckily he was in the office finishing up some work. I felt horrible telling him about the events, especially when his newly arrived family are in week two of their two year experience here and were in the office to hear the bad news.
I called colleagues and safe cab drivers before I noticed Keith was upstairs and no one was answering except Helge and he was out on the farm.
After Helge texted me the police’s number, I called them and explained the situation.
But police here need license plate numbers and I told them the model of the cars and said, “Just put your people there and you’ll find two cabs trailing each other and one guy is wearing an Orlando Pirates Football Club Jersey.”
"Did you happen to see the registration sir?"
"Again, no I didn't. I was looking to run."
I let the poor woman on the other end hear it and was extremely blunt about how ridiculous I think the law is where you need plate numbers to catch people and justify sending out units, when there are stories in the paper and two other previous muggings in the same area the police were also warned about.
“Please go figure,” I think to myself after pushing the red cell phone button.
I didn’t think about calling the police initially. One calls friends first here or takes care of it your self. So many other locals second their frustration with the police dealing with these situations fully and even accuse them as working together with muggers.
This is typical but I had to tell the police to begin my venting process.
Overall, my hostel roomies and others have been a little freaked out about things lately given the recent mugging and now it almost happening to me.
………….
I always think about the “lessons learned” in situations like this.
Its so easy to let hate fill one in these situations and the lesson is to deal with these feelings in a way that doesn’t breed more hate, thus creating barriers; like where I faulted with flipping the guys off and spitting at them out of frustration.
To me I was angry at the act of mugging and not the guys, but it’s easy to see how it could have been seen differently up on the hill looking down at me and provoke other things/thoughts. Other people who have been mugged or in similar situations I’ve noticed carry a huge stigma sometimes.
Horrible horrible thoughts can fill a mind and heart after experiences like these, but I’m not going to go there.
When I was back in the WWF office, I reflected on how angry I was when my car stero was stolen two times [in Nebraska and Washington], and among other things that have been stolen. And then how tough it was for me then to rise above the situation and not think in profiles.
This incident obviously breaks the travel bubble some, but I refuse to let myself fall into these hate ruts I find others possessing here and elsewhere. This won’t stop me from reaching out and wanting to experience new things and meet new people, but safety will also be in the back of my mind and I’ll do everything I can to prevent being mugged. But there is only so much one can do, especially when facing groups like these.
Previously, I’ve talked about being brutally honest concerning my experiences here in Namibia and South Africa. What happened today is something I know close friends and family may not want to read about, but this is what I’m feeling and experiencing. Please know, I’m still OK and having the time of my life here and learning so much.
I have some of my best pictures yet I need to post from Deadvlei and Sossusvlet. Please stay tuned for pictures and experiences.
I'm also prepping for two weeks in the field interviewing commercial farmers and I can't wait!
…..
My friends Louie and Ernestine, two traditional natives from Canada, performed a traveling song at their tribe’s main pow wow when I arrived in South Africa. I didn’t ask for it, but Ernestine said she was going to ask Louie, who is a strong medicine man, to do a song that will protect and bring me home. I was told this song is used in situations when people from their tribe leave for wars and long journeys.
It’s a big request everyone takes seriously especially when this was done on a traditional drum [VERY different from normal pow wow drums. This one is used in the old ways] during the annual pow wow.
I like to think the drum and song were with me in this situation.
My best,
A.E. Price
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