I see your 6 feet and raise you another 12

Walking around the neighbourhood recently I was astounded to see how high the walls are being built around this residential complex.

I don't proclaim to understand what has resulted in this level of fear but to the casual observer it seems as if these residents are imprisoning themselves. Actually I can think of some prisons that would be proud of security like this.

I guess it is a result of following the approach of ensuring that your property is less desirable than your neighbours' - i.e. making it more difficult to enter than their properties are. But this takes "keeping up with the Joneses" to new levels. It could also have the unintentional result of making your property more desirable, as curiosity with what lies behind those walls could result in the problem occurring that it was built to prevent.

As South Africans we understand that crime is a major issue that we have to deal with; together with the social conditions that result in crime. I am just not sure that this is the answer ....