Burglar bar door for my bedroom
Large “picture” window in bedroom covered with burglar bars
Ornate bars on window of host family house
One of the criteria for the place where a PCV can live in SA is that the living space must have burglar bars on all access points (e.g., doors and windows). PC will pay the homeowners to have them added if the bars are not already present.
Before arriving in SA, I thought it seem a little strange living in a home with such obviously added security, but as it turns out, most homes already have burglar bars on all of the windows. They are so decorative and common that they practically blend in as an architectural feature and I hardly notice them anymore.
The schools are generous with the use of burglar bars, too. Each classroom and office door has secured windows and a burglar bar door — even if the room contains just a few old and broken desks.
Just like the fences around each and every house, it’s a rather sad commentary on the country’s high rate of crime and the people’s need to protect themselves and their possessions. I will admit that I feel rather secure when the burglar door is secured each night when I go to bed. My remaining fear is that the bar door key will get lost and I will be jailed, oops, I mean stuck inside!
Burglar bar door for one of classrooms at secondary school
