Golf legend Gary Player: 'People are scared to invest in SA today because of crime'

SA golf legend Gary Player has decried the high levels of crime that have spiraled out of control in the country.

The highly respected 18-time major winner and philanthropist said crime is hurting SA's tourism.

“We are an unusual and remarkable country‚" he said.

"The only thing that makes me sad is‚ when are we going to stop this crime which is hurting our tourism?

"Tourism is one of the most essential things that we need in our country at the moment because of the people that are pouring in here.

“People are scared to invest in South Africa today because of crime‚ we all have to stand up and talk about this crime because it is hurting everybody.

"For our children’s future‚ we have to get things right.

"If we could stop crime like in Singapore‚ which has no crime‚ we will be the richest country per capita in the world.

"We have a challenge and we all have to play our part by talking about it because nothing is being done about it.

"Someone gets murdered and you don’t even hear anything about it again.

"We have a phenomenal country but we all have a duty to perform.”

Player congratulated the Springboks for winning the Rugby World Cup early this month.

“Why did we win the Rugby World Cup this year?

"We won it for a special reason‚" he said.

"England played their very best against New Zealand and the odds of them playing like they did against us were not as high as we thought.

"Our guys were passionate‚ some of them lived in shacks‚ some of them had their grandparents looking after them‚ they had their suffering and they had a chance to become world champions.

“They knew that everybody in SA‚ I think even the bloody criminals‚ were pulling for them to win and they won in such great style.

"We are proud of them and it was such a remarkable thing.

"We are an incredible country with sport and there is an old saying in which Nelson Mandela‚ our great hero‚ re-emphasized that sport can change the world.”