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Date: April 27, 2024 Sat
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south africa
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south africa
Results for south africa
1395 total results foundAuthor: Dhlamini, Jabu Title: Safety and Security in the Rural Parts of Ekurhulnei Metropolitan Area Summary: This report aims to provide knowledge about the nature of crime in rural areas of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan local government so as to enhance the capacity of local authority and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address rural safety needs. This report also aims to review crime prevention initiatives and the involvement of community organizations. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2005 Source: Royal Danish Embassy Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Communities Shelf Number: 116195 |
Author: United Nations. Office on Drugs and Crime. Regional Office for Southern Africa Title: Combating Trafficking in Persons: A 2005 Assessment of the Laws and Measures Relevant to Human Trafficking in Selected SADC Countries: Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia Summary: This assessment analyzes laws and measures related to human trafficking in a sample of Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, namely Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. It also analyzes laws and measures concerning organized crime, money laundering, corruption and related areas, as defined and addressed in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, due to their integral relationship with human trafficking. The assessment provides information on the ratification and implementation status of the Convention and Protocol in all SADC countries. It further provides some anecdotal information on human trafficking in the assessment countries and gives a brief overview of studies on its extent and nature. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: 2007 Source: Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Human Rights Shelf Number: 115738 |
Author: Matibini, Patrick Title: The Criminal Justice System in Zambia: Enhancing the Delivery of Security in Africa Summary: From the executive summary: "The African Human Security Initiative (AHSI) is a consortium of organisations that has taken the initiative to emphasise human security in Africa. AHSI has used the opportunity created by the peer review concept to complement the formal African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) to undertake a focused review of the criminal justice system in selected countries identified for the APRM. Under the programme, five countries - Zambia, Tanzania, Benin, Mali and Sierra Leone - were selected for review in 2007 and 2008." Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2009 Source: African Human Security Initiative, Monograph 159 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems Shelf Number: 115673 |
Author: Bermudez, Laura Title: 'No Experience Necessary': The Internal Trafficking of Persons in South Africa Summary: This report examines qualitative findings concerning the internal trafficking of persons in South Africa for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, and the removal of organs. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: International Organization for Migration Regional Office for Southern Africa, 2008. 75p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Forced Labor Shelf Number: 117821 |
Author: Gould, Chandre Title: Selling Sex in Cape Town: Sex Work and Human Trafficking in a South African City Summary: This report examines the sex work industry in South Africa and the evidence for human trafficking into the industry. Details: Pretoria/Tshwane, South AfricA: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 205p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Human Trafficking Shelf Number: 110887 |
Author: Fouche, Henri Title: Policing piracy and armed robbery of ships in South Africa's territorial waters and contiguous zone. Summary: This dissertation focuses on the policing of piracy and armed robbery against ships in South Africa's territorial waters and continguous zone. The study examines the phenomena not only in South Africa but throughout the African region, because piracy is a transnational crime which constitutes a security threat to the entire African continent. The nature and extent of piracy and armed robbery is determined as well as the consequences thereof on South African national interest. The meaning and nature of policing is examined and the effect of prevailing policing procedure, legislating, enforcing, preventing and partnershipping in the policing of piracy and armed robbery is analyzed. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Faculty of Humanities, Tshwane University of Technology, 2006, 253p. Source: Doctoral Dissertation Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Africa Shelf Number: 117599 |
Author: Buys, Johannes Jacobus Title: Hijacking of Trucks with Freight: A Criminological Analysis Summary: This research describes the nature, occurrence and extent of the hijacking of trucks with freight, the persons involved and the impact these crimes have on the crime scene in South Africa. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2003. 166p. Source: Master's Thesis Year: 2003 Country: South Africa Keywords: Hijacking of Freight (South Africa) Shelf Number: 118226 |
Author: Bruce, David Title: Putting People First? A Survey of Witness Satisfaction in Three Gauteng Magistrates' Courts Summary: This report reflects the findings of a survey of witnesses - including victims and other prosecution and defense witnesses - conducted in late 2003 at three magistrates' courts in Gauteng. The authors examine the issue of intimidation, the length of time witnesses spend at court, witness satisfaction, and witness complaints and recommendations for improving the criminal justice system. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2005. 49p. Source: Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Courts (South Africa) Shelf Number: 118373 |
Author: Krause, Andre Title: The Crime Threat Analysis Process - An Assessment Summary: This study investigated the application of the crime threat analysis process at station level within the Nelson Mandela Metro City area with the objective of determining inhibiting factors (constraints) and best practices. Qualitative research methodology was applied and interviews were conducted with crime analysts and specialized investigators/intelligence analysts. The research design can be best described as descriptive - and explorative in nature. The crime threat analysis process embroils the application of various crime analysis techniques and the outcomes thereof intends to have a dual purpose of generating operational crime management in assisting crime prevention initiatives and crime detention efforts, mainly focussing on the criminal activities of group offenders (organized crime related), repeat offenders and serial offenders. During the study it became evident that crime analysts understand and thus apply the crime threat analysis process indifferently, which impeded on the relevancy and the utilization therof as an effective crime management tool. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2007. 132p. Source: Master's Essay Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Analysis Shelf Number: 118756 |
Author: Sigsworth, Romi Title: Anyone Can Be a Rapist...: An Overview of Sexual Violence in south Africa Summary: It is no secret that the levels of sexual violence in South Africa are unacceptably high. As a result, the problem of sexual violence in South Africa is a major concern to government and civil society alike. A key question is whether these levels of sexual violence are related to the factors contributing to the high levels of violence more generally in South African society, or whether there are additional factors contributing to this particular form of violence. This report aims to answer these questions by mapping the extent, nature and causes of sexual violence in South Africa in an attempt to understand holistically the scourge of sexual violence in the country, in order to offer a comprehensive range of recommendations to assist in addressing the problem. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Center for the STudy of Violence and Reconciliation, 2009. 36p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Rape (South Africa) Shelf Number: 118630 |
Author: Palmary, Ingrid Title: Traditional Leaders in the eThekwini Metropolitan Region: Their Role in Crime Prevention and Safety Promotion Summary: This report discusses the role that the traditional leaders play in the prevention of crime and violence in the eThekwini metropolitan region. The first section considers the history of the institution and how it has changed with the impact of colonization and apartheid in South Africe. The report then considers briefly the expeiences of other African countries in incorporating traditional leaders into democratic structures before outlining the South African context. The international literature that highlights the impact of community relations and economic development is reviewed briefly in order to better understand the possible role of the Amakhosi might have in reducing crime and violence. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2004. 48p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2004 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime (South Africa) Shelf Number: 119129 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Child Justice Alliance: A Quantitative Overview of Children in the Criminal Justice System: 2007 Summary: This report provides an overview of the available quantitative data on children in the juvenile justice system in South Africa, and also identifies where data is lacking or incomplete. It includes the following sections: children in detention; duration of detention; children coming into contact with the juvenile justice system; existence of a juvenile justice system; separation from adults; conditions for control of quality of services for children in detention; and protection from torture, violence, abuse and exploitation. Details: Bellville, South Africa: Child Justice Alliance, 2007. 36p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Displacement Shelf Number: 110569 |
Author: Palmary, Ingrid Title: "We are Living in a Forgotten Place": Safety in the Cross-Border Parts of the City of Tshwane Summary: This research is a qualitative review of key crime prevention activities n the cross-border, rural areas of the Tshwane metro in order to assist local government and community in planning and refining crime prevention activities. Details: Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2003. 36p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2003 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention (South Africa) Shelf Number: 119123 |
Author: Gallinetti, Jacqui Title: Getting to Know the Child Justice Act Summary: This publication is intended to provide a simple overview of the contents of the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 (South Africa). It attempts to reduce the legalise of the Act; remove constant cross-references to other sections; and bring themes together in a logical and user-friendly manner. Details: Belleville, South Africa: Child Justice Alliance, 2009. 67p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Justice Shelf Number: 119269 |
Author: South African Law Reform Commission Title: Report on Stalking Summary: The South African Law Reform Commission’s investigation into stalking emphasizes the need to address the pressing and complex problems relating to stalking with a view to reforming the manner in which it is dealt with in terms of current law. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: 2006. 87p. Source: Internet Resource; Project 130 Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Sex Crimes Shelf Number: 119298 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: A Societal Responsibility: The Role of Civil Society Organisations in Prisoner Support, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Summary: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) conducted a survey of 21 organisations working in the offender reintegration and prisoner support field. This report presents an analysis of the results which are based on in-depth interviews with practitioners and managers working in these organizations. It is a central finding of the survey that there is great diversity amongst organizations in respect of nearly every issue dealt with in the survey. On the one hand this indicates the willingness of the sector to engage in innovative approaches and incorporate a wide range of modalities in service delivery. On the other hand, it is also testimony to a fairly fragmented sector in which there has been limited debate on what offender reintegration is, what is effective and what should be avoided. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 33p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Prisoner Reentry Shelf Number: 119291 |
Author: Gallinetti, Jacqui Title: Child Justice Alliance: A Baseline Study of Children in the Criminal Justice System in 3 Magisterial Districts Summary: This research report constitutes an attempt to obtain baseline data on the present criminal justice processes pertaining to children in three magisterial districts, namely Wynberg in the Western Cape, Pretoria in Gauteng and Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. It is intended to form the basis of ongoing monitoring research that will examine the implementation of the Child Justice Bill, once enacted. Therefore, this study represents the first phase of a broader monitoring process. Details: Bellville, South Africa: Child Justice Alliance, 2007. 46p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Justice Systems (South Africa) Shelf Number: 119231 |
Author: Sigsworth, Romi Title: Tracking Rape Case Attrition in Gauteng: The Police Investigation Stage Summary: This report describes the characteristics of reported rape in Gauteng province, as well as the processing of rape cases by the police and courts at selected courts and police stations. One of the study’s key findings was that 45% of rape cases never proceed beyond the police to the courts. This follow-up report analyses in greater detail the police investigation of rape cases in Gauteng and the resultant case attrition at the police investigation stage. Details: Braamfontein, South Africa: Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2009. 66p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Courts Shelf Number: 117659 |
Author: Bhana, Kailash Title: Now We Have Nothing: Exploring the Impact of Maternal imprisonment on Children Whose Mothers Killed an Abusive Partner Summary: This study draws on the life experiences of 16 children whose mothers are serving long prison sentences at Johannesburg Central Prison for killing their abusive partners. The study concludes that long-term imprisonment for the mother is not in the child's best interest. Details: Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence & Reconciliation, 2001. 43p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2001 Country: South Africa Keywords: Children of Prisoners Shelf Number: 117756 |
Author: Mahony, Chris Title: The Justice Sector Afterthought: Witness Protection in Africa Summary: This report seeks to address the frictions between protecting the rights of accused persons and protecting the physical and psychological wellbeing of witnesses in Africa. Developed states are still attempting to refine the weighing of these two public goods. The African challenge is complicated by poor capacity and integrity in the justice sector, as well as by lower living standards. These issues commonly cause justice inefficiencies which impede both witness protection and the rights of the accused. While the latter are critical to the integrity of the criminal justice process, witness protection is often the essential component of the successful prosecution of organised crime. Witness protection`s importance is tied to African states` growing willingness to address the phenomena of organised crime. The report addresses witness protection in South Africa as well as initiatives to create protection programmes in Kenya, Uganda and Sierra Leone. It also examines witness protection at the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Its interpretation of witness protection is wide and includes sensitive investigatory, prosecutorial and judicial practices as well as relocation and identity change. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2010. 230p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Courts Shelf Number: 118704 |
Author: Mujuzi, Jamil Ddamulira Title: The Changing Face of Life Imprisonment in South Africa Summary: This report examines "the meaning and use of life imprisonment in South Africa in four major legal historical eras: life imprisonment at the time when the death penalty was still lawful in South Africa (including life imprisonment as early as 1906); life imprisonment in the immediate aftermath of the abolition of the death penalty (1994-1998); life imprisonment following the introduction of the minimum sentences legislation (1998-2007); and life imprisonment after December 2007, when the sentencing jurisdiction of the regional courts was extended to include life imprisonment." Details: Bellville, South Africa: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative, 2008. 41p. Source: Internet Resource; CSPRI Research Paper No. 15 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Imprisonment Shelf Number: 119382 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Prisoner Re-Entry in Cape Town - An Exploratory Study Summary: "Every month in South Africa approximately 6000 sentenced prisoners are released, some on parole and some on expiry of sentence. After serving their prison sentences it is society’s expectation that they will refrain from committing crime and be productive citizens. They are expected to find employment, rebuild relationships with their families and communities, and cease from engaging in certain activities and avoiding the risks that caused their imprisonment in the first instance. Unfortunately, it is the case that many released prisoners commit further offences and find their way back to prison, some in a remarkably short period of time while others return after several years. This study is concerned with the immediate post-release period and asked a very simple question: “What happens to people immediately after they have been released from prison?” The question is aimed at gaining a deeper and empirical understanding of what prisoner re-entry and reintegration into society mean and what the obstacles are to successful reintegration. When people’s lives have effectively been put on hold for several months or years, how do they pick up the strings where they had left them, if there are indeed strings to pick up? " Details: Bellville, South Africa: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative, 2008. 37p. Source: Internet Resource; CSPRI Research Paper No. 14 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Ex-Offenders, Services for Shelf Number: 119383 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Reducing Prison Violence: Implications from the Literature for South Africa Summary: "Few would argue that prisons are violent places and South Africa is no exception. The consistently high number of deaths and complaints of assaults recorded by both the DCS and the JICS over several years indicate that violence is a “normal” feature of the South African prison system. Amongst all the strategic objectives towards transformation of the prison system and the distractions, the most important objective of any correctional system is to detain prisoners under safe and humane conditions. This, very explicitly, means that individuals, when imprisoned, must not only be safe but they must also feel safe. Regrettably this is not the case and thus the need for this paper to take a closer look at violence in South Africa’s prison system. This is done by reviewing the literature on prison violence to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and also to establish whether there have been any effective measures implemented elsewhere to reduce prison violence. Based on these a number of recommendations are made to improve prison safety in South Africa." Details: Bellville, South Africa: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative, 2009. 39p. Source: Internet Resource; CSPRI Research Report No. 17 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Inmates Shelf Number: 119384 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Ex-Prisoners' Views on Imprisonment and Re-Entry Summary: "In the past 15 years much research has been conducted on the prison system in South Africa focusing on governance, law reform and human rights. It is, however, of particular concern that the voices of prisoners and ex-prisoners had not been heard in the current discourse, one that has been dominated by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Parliament, service delivery organisations, academics and human rights activists. In essence, there has been a lot of talk about prisoners and ex-prisoners but there has been little listening to prisoners and ex-prisoners taking place." Details: Bellville, South Africa: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative, 2009. 27p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Ex-Prisoners (South Africa) Shelf Number: 119385 |
Author: South African Law Reform Commission Title: Report on Trafficking in Persons Summary: This report addresses three main aspects regarding trafficking in persons in South Africa: the prevention of trafficking in persons; the prosecution of traffickers and other role-players; and the protection of victims of trafficking. The report includes a series of recommendations to address these three issues. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: South African Law Reform Commission, 2008. 167p. Source: Internet Resource; Project 131 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Human Trafficking Shelf Number: 119122 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Towards An Understanding of Repeat Violent Offending: A Review of the Literature Summary: This paper explores South African and international literature relevant to repeat offending. It serves to inform a three-year study on sentenced repeat violent offenders in South Africa to be undertaken by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in collaboration with the Community Law Centre at the University of the Western Cape (in particular the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative - CSPRI) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). The study is motivated by the understanding that the identification of indicators of risk before young offenders embark on a life trajectory of violent crime, and the implementation of appropriate interventions will, in the long term, contribute towards reducing levels of violent crime and re-offending. The purpose of the study is thus to provide detailed data about the life histories and life circumstances of repeat violent offenders in South Africa. Details: Pretoris, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 24p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 0 Country: South Africa Keywords: Repeat Offenders Shelf Number: 119450 |
Author: Pharoah, Robyn Title: National Victims of Crime Survey: Overview of Key Findings Summary: In 2007 the Institute for Security Studies conducted a national crime and victimisation survey. The survey followed on from two earlier victim surveys conducted by the ISS and Statistics South Africa in 1998 and 2003 respectively. Together, these three surveys provide an unprecedented snapshot of both changing victimisation levels and perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system over the last decade. This paper, the first of several on the research results, provides an overview of the central findings of the 2007 survey, key victimisation and reporting trends since 1998, as well as changes in the public's perception of crime, responses to crime and the performance of the criminal justice system. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 15p. Source: Internet Resource; ISS Paper No. 175 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 115830 |
Author: Holtmann, Barbara Title: Policing and Community in South Africa Summary: This paper takes the perspective that South Africa presents a context for a simple relationship between the police and community, where the police focus on the elements of law enforcement for which they carry responsibility, in a friendly, trustworthy and efficient manner, rather than leading crime prevention and other community based safety interventions. While in northern police services in countries with low crime rates relative to South Africa there are smart, sophisticated and compelling models of police at the centre of crime prevention partnerships, this is not necessarily appropriate or even aspirational in South Africa. Details: Santiago, Chile: Global Consortium on Security Transformation, 2010. 28p. Source: Internet Resource; Policy Brief Series, No. 7. Accessed August 10, 2010 at http://www.security/transformation.org/gc_publications.php Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention (South Africe) Shelf Number: 119582 |
Author: Frank, Cheryl Title: Children Used by Adults to Commit Crime Summary: This series of reports addresses the issue of the use of children by adults to commit crime, which has been identified as a worst form of child labour. It builds on South Africa’s commitment to address child labour, as evidenced in the constitutional protection accorded to this group of children, as well as early ratification by the South African government of ILO Convention 182 concerning the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. The implementation of ILO Convention 182 is marked by the need for the design and implementation of targeted measures to address the situation of children involved in the worst forms of child labour. The individual titles in the series are: 1) Situation Analysis and Pilot Design; 2) Prevention Programme Manual; 3) Children's Perceptions of their Use by Adults in the Commission of Offences; 4) Diversion Programme Manual; and 5) Guidelines for Role-players in the Criminal Justice System. Details: Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa: Community Law Centre, Child Labour Programme of Action, 2007. 5 vols. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 17, 2010 at: http://www.communitylawcentre.org.za/clc-projects/childrens-rights/other-publications (Reports can be downloaded at this site) Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Labor (South Africa) Shelf Number: 119330 |
Author: Faull, Andrew Title: Corruption and the South African Police Service: A Review and Its Implications Summary: In 2002 the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) anti-corruption unit was shut down after six years of apparently successful work. Since then the organisation has struggled to develop and implement a new corruption combating plan. While it is arguably impossible to measure the extent of corruption in the SAPS, research points to a correlation between rising public perceptions of police corruption and a loss of faith in policing institutions. Corruption thus threatens the legitimacy of one of the country’s central structures of justice. In 2007 the SAPS was due to roll out a barrage of anti-corruption measures as part of an ambitious plan to clamp down on corruption in its ranks. In light of these developments this paper provides an overview of previous research on corruption in the organisation together with an introduction to SAPS’s latest approach to corruption busting. This paper represents an independently funded collaboration between the Crime and Justice and Corruption and Governance Programmes at the Institute for Security Studies. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Securitiy Studies, 2007. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 150: Accessed September 3, 2010 at: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/PAPER150PDF.PDF Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Corruption Shelf Number: 110194 |
Author: Van Vuuren, Hennie Title: Apartheid Grand Corruption: Assessing the Scale of Crimes of Profit in South Africa from 1976 to 1994 Summary: South Africans, whether in their individual capacities or as members of some form of organized civil society institution, have this proud history of engagingchead-on with the issues affecting us. This outstanding trademark stems from ourchistory of injustice and oppression. Coupled with this is our deep concern about the well-being of our fellow citizens. Corruption is a legacy of our past and it is therefore not surprising that the civil society sector pushed that the issue of apartheid grand corruption be put under the spotlight. This sector discussed the matter at its preparatory meeting to the Second National Anti-corruption Summit in March last year and raised the matter during the Summit itself. As one of 27 resolutions the Summit agreed that the sector should prepare a research report on crimes of corruption committed under apartheid and that this research be presented to the National Anti-Corruption Forum (NACF). Corruption, the abuse of entrusted power for private benefit, costs the people of South Africa billions of rand annually. It is a burden that is carried disproportionately by the poor as it effectively subsidises criminal elites within the public and private sector. It is a matter of public record that in the dozen years since South Africans claimed the right to elect a democratic government, almost no day has gone by without media reports highlighting the extent of the scourge. This includes allegations of intrigues involving individuals ranging from corporate tycoons to local councillors in remote rural areas, who have abused the power with which they have been entrusted in favour of narrow self-interest. Yet South Africans have made remarkable strides in countering criminal business in the past dozen years. Building on the foundation provided by the Constitution (1996) and the Bill of Rights, elected lawmakers have asserted their mandate to create laws and institutions that for the first time seriously combat corruption. The country has a comprehensive framework consisting of a host of public bodies with a mandate to vigorously tackle graft—and they are doing this with increasing success. Although the anti-corruption mechanisms are not without their flaws, they do ensure that many ordinary South Africans have the sense that justice usually prevails. The media, unshackled from apartheid-era press censorship, use this freedom to report on the anti-corruption efforts of the state and, importantly, to probe the thorny issues that citizens in every modern society fear are being covered up by various interest groups. However, it is worth noting that this was not always the case. For more than 300 years, all South Africans were under the yoke of colonial and apartheid rule, a system that benefited the few at the expense of the many. It was a system that ensured that white settlers—and later, white South Africans—were at the helm of a racial oligarchy that was built on the subjugation of black South Africans. It was a corrupt system of governance. A near monopoly on money, power and influence were in the hands of a minority and they used this to either violently suppress the majority or, at best, transfer resources in order to stave off the inevitable revolution. This report attempts to document and describe instances of corruption that we know took place during apartheid and in particular, during the period 1976–1994. Through documented evidence and testimonies of those who have information about this period it attempts to highlight on some well-known corruption cases. However, the report is equally concerned with that about which little is known: the questions that are asked throughout are those that have either not been answered, or not fully explored, by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) or any other organ of the democratically elected government. Importantly, the report is not intended to be an exhaustive expose of corruption under apartheid. In highlighting examples it does not mean that these are necessarily the only examples of apartheid-era corruption. The report does not attempt to make judgement on all the cases presented and has been limited in the extent of its enquiry by the amount of material available on the subject. It is worth noting that additional research is required to build a body of knowledge (which does not exist to any significant degree at present) of the types of governance failures that occurred during apartheid. This, together with limited human resources available in undertaking research for this report should also contextualise the reliance on newspaper clippings and single source interviews. The report begs the question: why has there been no successful dedicated prosecution of crimes of corruption involving the apartheid era elite? Is it due to a lack of evidence? Is this, in turn, due to a lack of capacity? Does it reflect part of a broader political agreement as part of the sunset clause? This report does not attempt to provide answers to these difficult questions but rather attempts to lay the groundwork for probity by others. (Excerpts from report) Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2006. 103p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2010 at: http://www.liberationafrique.org/IMG/pdf/apartheidgrandc.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Apartheid Shelf Number: 119741 |
Author: Allais, Carol Title: Tsireledzani: Understanding the Dimensions of Human Trafficking in Southern Africa Summary: This report provides the first comprehensive assessment of human trafficking in South Africa. This research study was conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on behalf of the ‘Programme of Assistance to the South African Government to Prevent, React to Human Trafficking and Provide Support to Victims of Crime’. The programme of assistance forms part of South Africa’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking through prevention, response and support for victims, known as TSIRELEDZANI. The programme of assistance is being implemented by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and is co-funded by the South African Government and the European Union (EU). The overall objective of South Africa’s National Strategy on Human Trafficking is to ensure full compliance with the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (hereafter, ‘Palermo Protocol’), which supplements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. Compliance includes developing comprehensive legislation underpinned by a victim-centred empowerment approach, taking full account of the Victim’s Charter1 as well as relevant South African legislation. The specific purposes of the Tsireledzani Programme are to: (a) contribute to compliance with the Palermo Protocol requirements, (b) increase capacity to deal with trafficking, and (c) enhance inter-sectoral coordination and cooperation. Tsireledzani is being implemented by the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit of the NPA over a three-year period (2008-2010). The present study addresses Result 1 of the programme of assistance to the South African government: DEEPENED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF TRAFFICKING, and presents findings on human trafficking in South Africa obtained from research undertaken from December 2008 to March 2010. The objectives of the study were to: 1. Identify trafficking trends in order to develop appropriate responses; 2. Identify national legislative measures, policy frameworks and women’s and children’s rights instruments; 3. Analyse counter-trafficking responses regarding human trafficking in the SADC region and other countries with comparative features; 4. Identify the profile of the victims and characteristics and motives of the agents in human trafficking; 5. Identify the purposes for human trafficking and the key driving factors; 6. Identify socio-economic aspects of the demand and cultural values and practices influencing human trafficking; 7. Identify the interrelation between human trafficking and migration relation issues in the context of globalization; 8. Identify the linkage between organised crime networks and corruption, and human trafficking; 9. Identify indicators for a national Trafficking Information Management System ; 10. Make recommendations on the outcome of the above results. Details: Pretoria: National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, 2010. 206p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 8, 2010 at: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-3562.phtml Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Prostitution Shelf Number: 119766 |
Author: Mwanika, Philip Arthur Njuguna Title: Eco-Cop: Environmental Policing in Eastern Africa Summary: The power to police, as part of statecraft , is a basic attribute of contemporary government that manifests in a vast array of sites of governance, including not only the state itself, but also areas such as the community, the household and industry, and contemporary realms such as the war against terrorism. This paper looks at a particular dominant realm of governance that is a mainstay of modern policing, i.e. the environmental protection realm, and particularly the policing component known as environmental crime management. Towards that end, this paper attempts to make sense of the policing component understood as ‘environmental policing’ and how it is operationalised in Africa. Case studies from the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa have been adopted. The question of whether the police institution in the continent should be involved in environmental protection or have an environmental enforcement component has been critically investigated against a backdrop of the political, societal, administrative and bureaucratic realities in the mentioned geo-political concerns. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2010. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 215: Accessed September 17, 2010 at: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/215.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Environmental Protection Shelf Number: 119827 |
Author: De Sas Kropiwnicki, Zosa Title: Wolves in Sheep's Skin: A Rapid Assessment of Human Trafficking in Musina, Limpopo Province of South Africa Summary: This report found evidence of the trafficking of migrants entering South Africa from Zimbabwe. The report, "Wolves in Sheep's Skin: A Rapid Assessment of Human Trafficking in Musina, Limpopo Province of South Africa", finds that migrants in the region are regularly subjected to high levels of abuse and violence, which in turn makes them vulnerable to trafficking. It specifically identifies cases involving trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation, forced criminal activity such as the sale of illegal substances, servitude, extortion and other forms of exploitation. The report found that some migrant groups are particularly at risk, such as victims of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV); those who have been stranded, robbed or subjected to other forms of violence; women and girls involved in prostitution and transactional sexual behaviour; and unaccompanied minors travelling alone or with adults. Situated approximately 20 km from the Zimbabwean border, Musina is the point of entry for a large number of Zimbabwean migrants. A total of 130 respondents from Zimbabwe and South Africa were interviewed in August 2009, including migrants, government officials, service providers, farm managers and so called malaisha or taxi drivers, frequently involved in human smuggling. Identified factors contributing to migrant vulnerability include the political and socio-economic insatiability in Zimbabwe, the lack of adequate border controls, difficulty in obtaining travel documents, the establishment of informal criminal networks, an increase in the movement of women and unaccompanied minors, and a lack of awareness and experience regarding safe migration. The report also notes that addressing the incidence of violence and abuse reported by migrants – and particularly by women and children – is as critical as the issue of human trafficking itself. The assessment also revealed that migrants in Musina are vulnerable to a range of health care concerns such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and reproductive health problems, physical trauma, negative psychosocial reactions, malnutrition and limited access to health care. The report identifies shortfalls in policy and practice with regard to human trafficking in Musina, including insufficient capacity of law enforcement and border officials to identify cases of human trafficking; inadequate referral, shelter and assistance networks; and deficient investigation and prosecution of incidences of abuse and violence against migrants. Details: Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Migration, 2010. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 14, 2010 at: http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/media/press-briefing-notes/pbnAF/cache/offonce?entryId=27157 Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Forced Labor Shelf Number: 119964 |
Author: Thaler, Kai Title: Weapons, Violence and Personal Security in Cape Town Summary: Given the high levels of crime and violence in South Africa, there may be a temptation for citizens to arm themselves for protection. Using quantitative survey data from the Cape Area Panel Study and qualitative interviews with residents of high-violence neighborhoods, this paper examines the question of who carries weapons outside the home in Cape Town and what the effects of weapon carrying may be. Multiple regression analysis is used to test the significance of possible socioeconomic drivers of weapon carrying and the results are discussed in the South African social context. Weapon carrying is found to be associated with both assault perpetration and victimization, suggesting that it is part of a violent lifestyle in which weapon carriers are likely to use their weapons both offensively and defensively. Possible weapon-related policies for violence reduction are also discussed. Details: Brighton, UK: Households in Conflict Network, Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, 2010. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: HiCN Working Paper 85: Accessed November 5, 2010 at: http://www.hicn.org/papers/wp85.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gun Violence Shelf Number: 120191 |
Author: Bruce, David Title: Tackling Armed Violence: Key Findings and Recommendations of the Study on the Violent Nature of Crime in South Africa Summary: This report is the sixth and final product of a study on the violent nature of crime undertaken by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in terms of an agreement entered into with the Minister of Safety and Security. The agreement provides for CSVR to produce six reports and that the last report should be a summary report on key findings and recommendations. This report therefore may be regarded as representing the “high level” findings of the study. This report is essentially concerned with how we understand violent crime in South Africa. By using the best empirical evidence that is available, the report aims to provide a solid footing for understanding violent crime so as to ensure the effectiveness of efforts to address it. The bulk of the report is directed towards meeting this purpose, after which the report puts forward a set of recommendations for addressing violent crime. Details: Pretoria: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2010. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 22, 2010 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/study/6.TAV_final_report_13_03_10.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Armed Robbery Shelf Number: 120280 |
Author: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation Title: Tackling Armed Violence: Key Findings and Recommendations of the Study on the Violent Nature of Crime in South Africa Summary: In February 2007 the Minister of Safety and Security contracted the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation to carry out a study on the violent nature of crime in South Africa. In terms of an agreement, entered into by the Minister on behalf of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster of cabinet, CSVR was required to produce six reports: Component 1: A concept paper on the violent nature of crime in South Africa (submitted: June 2007). Component 2: A study of murder entitled “Streets of Pain, Streets of Sorrow: The circumstances of the occurrence of murder in six areas with high rates of murder” (submitted: June 2008). Component 3: A study on sexual violence entitled: “A state of sexual tyranny: The prevalence, nature and causes of sexual violence in South Africa” (submitted: December 2008). Component 4: An analysis of the socioeconomic factors that contribute to violence, entitled: “Adding injury to insult: How exclusion and inequality drive South Africa’s problem of violence” (submitted: October 2008). Component 5: “Case studies on perpetrators of violent crime” (submitted: December 2008). Component 6: A summary report on key findings and recommendations. This document is the final report, Component 6 of the project. It provides what may be regarded as the “high level” findings of the study as well as the principal recommendations emerging from it. It therefore integrates some, but not all, of the material from the five other reports and readers are referred to these reports for more in-depth data and analysis on the issues which they deal with. In particular the concept paper (Component 1) provides a broad overview of available information on violent crime in South Africa, including trends in the various categories of violent crime up to the date of its publication. Details: Pretoria: Secretariat of Police, Department of Safety and Security, Republic of South Africa: Braamfontein: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2010. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/study/6.TAV_final_report_13_03_10.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Violence Shelf Number: 120307 |
Author: Barolsky, Vanessa Title: Case Studies of Perpetrators of Violent Crime Summary: The promise offered by South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994 was that, with the end of apartheid, levels of violence in South African society would drop significantly. However, various forms of social violence at all levels of society, ranging from armed robbery to sexual violence and murder, have remained at extremely high levels. Although the rate of murder has declined slightly from approximately 20 000 a year to about 18 000 in 2007, South Africa still has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world. It is in this context that the current study needs to be located. While violent crime has elicited widespread media coverage as well as considerable research attention, we still know very little about who participates in violent crime. Perhaps understandably, in the popular media violent perpetrators tend to be portrayed as faceless and nameless “monsters”; the brutality of their actions appears completely inexplicable, the result of a senseless evil. While these may be very reasonable responses when the public is confronted with the often horrifically violent deeds that occur during the course of many crimes in South Africa, such emotive reactions do little to further an informed understanding of who actually perpetrates violent crime. This type of understanding is crucial if we are to design interventions that respond effectively to violent crime, both in terms of understanding the ways in which we can prevent it and the ways in which we need to respond. So far, little research in the South African context has engaged in depth with the question of who violent perpetrators are. While there have been several studies that have given us a very good overall profile of the most significant characteristics of violent offenders — for example, that they are usually young and male, these studies have not yet gone beyond outlining a general typology of offenders. While this is a useful starting point, we need to go further than this general characterisation to a more specific understanding of the nuances that lie beneath the category of “violent offender”. This is critically what this study attempts to address. Through in-depth interviews with 20 violent offenders, which explore three key thematic concerns, namely, the life history of each participant, their involvement in violence and their experience of incarceration, this study seeks to unpack and, importantly, individualise the category of male offender. In doing this, this research is concerned with elucidating some of the complexities that underpin the involvement of young men in violent crime, through exploring their own stories of their lives and their motivations for violence. It is important to note that the experiences of these offenders cannot be generalised to the entire population of offenders, as the study is based on a small, non-representative sample of offenders. The sample may be biased by a number of factors, for example, informed consent was required from participants and participants were selected for the study based on selection interviews. This may have biased the sample towards offenders who were more willing to engage with interviewers and reflect on their actions than the average member of the prison population. Nevertheless, we feel that the stories of these offenders add important nuance and depth to our understanding of violent offenders, which we believe will provide insights that can help elucidate policies to address violent crime. Details: Braamfontein, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation; Pretoria, South Africa: Secretariat for Safety and Security, 2008. 157p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 3, 2010 at: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-3838.phtml Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Violence (South Africa) Shelf Number: 120379 |
Author: Anderson, D. Mark Title: The Effects of Poverty on the Susceptibility to Crime in South Africa Summary: Crime is a major economic and social problem in most developing countries. However, the research devoted to victims is sparse. This paper examines the effects of household-level poverty, measured by household expenditures per capita, on the susceptibility to crime in South Africa. An instrumental variables strategy combined with community fixed effects are used to account for potentially endogenous expenditures and unobserved community heterogeneity, respectively. Across all model specifications the probability a South African household is robbed is increasing in expenditures. When using instrumental variables, the positive effect of expenditures on the susceptibility to robbery increases substantially. In addition, the effect of expenditures remains positive and significant if the sample is restricted to “nonwhite” areas. This suggests that robberies are not only a problem for the rich who live in gated communities and hire private security, but also for the relatively “wealthy” that reside in poorer neighborhoods. Finally, this paper fails to find a statistically significant relationship between expenditures and the susceptibility to violent crimes such as murder, rape, and assault. Details: Seattle, WA: Department of Economics, University of Washington, 2009. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 20, 2010 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1289648 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Economics and Crime Shelf Number: 120555 |
Author: Hubschle, Annette, compiler Title: Organised Crime in Southern Africa: First Annual Review Summary: In 2005 representatives of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Secretariat of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) discussed the lack of reliable information and research on organised crime and how it impacted on law enforcement in southern Africa. The lack of credible homegrown research data ultimately led to the conceptualisation of a joint research project between the Cape Town-based ISS Organised Crime and Money Laundering Programme and SARPCCO. The Enhancing Regional Responses Against Organised Crime (EROC) Project commenced in January 2008 and concludes in December 2010. The objectives of the research are to: Provide in-depth information on contemporary organised criminal activities in the sub-region to policy and decision makers; Analyse the transnational dynamics of organised criminal groups and networks; Determine whether, and to what extent, links exist between organised crime and terrorism; Consider and document the role that corruption plays in organised crime; and Evaluate the capacity and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in the sub-region to overcome organised crime. This report comprises the research findings of the first year of data collection (2008) for the EROC project. It is the first of three such reports that will be published by the ISS in collaboration with SARPCCO. It looks at selected organised criminal activities and observed levels of prevalence in 12 southern African countries. Research questions, methodologies, limitations and ethical considerations are discussed in detail. Due to the lack of statistical and quantitative data, the report relies mostly on qualitative methodologies. Representatives of law enforcement agencies, government departments and para-statals, civil society, business and professional associations, academics, prisoners, former gang members and members of the broader communities whose lives have been affected by organised crime, were consulted in one-on-one interviews, focus groups, observations and workshops. A team of field researchers led by a research coordinator collected the data presented and analysed in this report. The research was informed by a working definition of organised crime which was jointly developed by the heads of criminal investigation departments in southern Africa and the research team. The report shows that the more serious forms of crime in terms of the monetary value involved or the potential harm they cause have a transnational dimension, both in terms of being committed by people of varying nationalities and in terms of affecting more than one country. It has been established that organised crime in most countries is underpinned by corruption, which is either a facilitating activity or an organised criminal activity in its own right. The geo-political and economic environments of individual countries amplifies the significance of specific criminal activities, the commonest forms of which have been identified as stock theft, theft/hijacking of motor vehicles, cultivation of marijuana and a broad spectrum of economic crimes. Further, the research has shown that although economic crimes may not be as prevalent as other forms of crime, statistically their impact on the society and the economy are far reaching. Furthermore, the effectiveness of law enforcement against organised crime has been put in the spotlight. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2010. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2011 at: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/OrgCrimeReviewDec2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Corruption Shelf Number: 120675 |
Author: Ndebele, Thuthukani Title: Broken Blue Line: The Involvement of the South African Police Force in Serious and Violent Crime in South Africa Summary: South Africans have become accustomed to media reports alleging the involvement of policemen or 'people dressed in police uniforms' in serious crimes. The Institute and its Unit for Risk Analysis have become increasingly concerned at the number and nature of these reports. To try and determine the scale of the problem, the Institute assigned a researcher to source as much information as possible on the involvement of police officers in committing crime. The results were alarming. The Institute consulted journalists, media reports, and information from the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). Within a week, a list of over 100 separate incidents alleging and/or confirming the police's involvement in serious crimes was drawn up. The Institute's researchers stopped looking for more incidents after compiling this list of the initial 100. This report provides an analysis of these 100 incidents and proposes a number of policy interventions for the Government to consider. The Institute has been encouraged that the administration of President Jacob Zuma has done away with much of the crime denialism that characterised the Mbeki era and also that General Bheki Cele seems sincere about re-instilling discipline and order in his police. This report is conceived to capitalise on these positive developments and to support legislators and the police in making better policing policy in South Africa. The report will be made available to MPs, MPLs, the South African Police Force, and the media. Top tier Institute subscribers can log in to download the report below. Other users and interested parties may purchase the report online. Details: Johannesburg: South African Institute of Race Relations, 2011. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2011 at: http://www.sairr.org.za/services/publications/occasional-reports/files/001%20-%20Broken%20Blue%20Line%20-11.02.2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Corruption Shelf Number: 120844 |
Author: Schnitzler, Antina von Title: Guardians or Gangster? Mapogo a Mathamaga: A Case Study Summary: Since its launch in 1996, the anti-crime group Mapogo a Mathamaga has been embroiled in controversy. Set up by a group of businessmen in the Northern Province in response to a spate of murders and armed robberies, the group soon became known for its illegal and strong-arm tactics when dealing with criminal suspects. Consequently, Mapogo is now commonly referred to as a vigilante group. This report provides insight into the organisation from a range of perspectives offered by those living and working in the Northern Province. This includes the views of Mapogo members (both current and former), traditional leaders, and other political, civic and trade union leaders, as well as the policing authorities and victims of Mapogo. The report examines the political and social context from which Mapogo has emerged, how the organisation was set up, who was involved and some of the key factors that have influenced its development. With crime remaining a major political issue, the report looks at how the criminal justice system is coping in the Northern Province, and examines some of the reasons suggested as to why people take the law into their own hands. It also explores how the intergenerational conflict that characterised aspects of the political revolt of the 1980s continues to manifest itself in the ideology of Mapogo. The report looks at the structure of the organisation, the methodology of Mapogo's practices and the extent to which the organisation is in control of its constituent parts. The report considers Mapogo's various fields of operation from private security services to property recovery, from punishment beatings to intimidation of farm workers. It also tackles the contested terrain of Mapogo's popular appeal and considers how reference to 'African justice' is used as a justification for brutal behaviour. The report also examines the government's seemingly ambiguous response to the criminal conduct of Mapogo during the late 1990s, and explores the implications of Mapogo and its leader's connections to other political parties and rightwing organisations. Despite negative publicity and internal conflict, Mapogo continues to grow and now claims to have over 40,000 members and over 90 branches operating in 5 provinces. This report offers some understanding of the complexities that continue to influence the development of and reaction to South Africa's most popular vigilante group. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2001. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Violence and Transition Series, Vol. 3: Accessed March 16, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/vigilantism/guardianorgangster.pdf Year: 2001 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 121022 |
Author: Dugard, Jackie Title: From Low Intensity War to Mafia War: Taxi Violence in South Africa (1987 - 2000) Summary: This report presents the results of a case study of South Africa's 'taxi wars', a series of violent conflicts that have marked the largely black-owned and black-operated minibus taxi industry since its deregulation in 1987. Prior to 1994, these taxi wars were relatively few in number and were predominantly linked to state-orchestrated violence. Since then, however, taxi violence has become more widespread, decentralised and criminal in character. Behind this shift are changes in the organisation of the taxi industry that broadly reflect the evolving relationship between state and society in post-apartheid South Africa. This report sets out an historical overview of the taxi phenomenon during the period 1987-2000. It focuses on the development of the taxi industry and its associated violence in the late-apartheid era, up to the present day. Case material is drawn from an in-depth longitudinal study of taxi violence in the Cape Peninsula area, but the research findings reflect taxi violence more generally. The generalised findings can be summarised as follows: • Taxi violence has its roots in the policies of deregulation and destabilisation pursued by the apartheid regime during the late 1980s and early 1990s. • As the state's control over the economy and society has weakened in the course of South Africa's transition, taxi associations have developed as informal agents of regulation, protection and extortion. • Violent taxi associations called 'mother bodies' have been allowed to develop and expand virtually unchecked by the authorities. These organisations are behind most of the violence that has come to be associated with the industry. Mother bodies have used their considerable firepower and weight to resist recent government attempts to re-regulate the taxi industry and they are symptomatic of more generalised rising levels of organised crime in post-apartheid South Africa. • Official corruption and collusion are major factors contributing to the continuation of taxi violence. In particular, the ownership of taxis by police and other government personnel directly aids criminality in the industry and exacerbates attempts to resolve the violence. Beyond providing an historical overview of the genesis of, and reasons for, taxi violence, this report also details the latest developments in the government's ongoing attempt to curb taxi violence; namely its plans to restructure the industry in terms of a recapitalisation programme that envisages replacing the existing taxi fleet of 16-seater vehicles with new, yet-to-be manufactured 18- and 35-seater vehicles, and which discusses the potential impact of such developments in this volatile yet necessary sector. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2001. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Violence and Transitions Series, Vol. 4: Accessed March 16, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/taxiviolence/fromlowintensity.pdf Year: 2001 Country: South Africa Keywords: Corruption Shelf Number: 121023 |
Author: Dixon, Bill Title: Gangs, Pagad & the State: Vigilantism and Revenge Violence in the Western Cape Summary: The report begins by setting popular activism against gangsterism and drugs in the historical and social context of the Western Cape. It goes on to provide a short history of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) - as seen through the eyes of the media - since its formation in December 1995. The main body of the report is devoted to the accounts of Pagad's origins, development and current status provided by the nine people interviewed for the research: two senior police intelligence officials, two former gangsters, a prominent member of Pagad, two seasoned observers of the organisation and two anticrime activists with an intimate knowledge of Pagad and recent developments in the Western Cape. What emerges from these competing narratives is an extremely complex picture. Defining moments - the death of Hard Livings gang leader Rashaad Staggie in August 1996, the failure of successive rounds of peace negotiations between representatives of Pagad and the security services, a 'shoot-out' in the Tafelsig area of Mitchells Plain in May last year between police and armed 'vigilantes'- are subject to vastly different interpretations. The concluding sections of the report try to make some sense of the events of the last five years. They trace the origins of gang and vigilante violence in the Western Cape and provide an analysis of Pagad's formation, its development and the evolution of the state's response to it, first as a popular movement, then as a 'vigilante group' and now as an 'urban terror' organisation. The report ends with an assessment of the prospects for reconciliation between Pagad, the State and the gangs and an end to organised violence in the Western Cape. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2001. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Violence and Transition Series, Vol. 2: Accessed March 16, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/gangs/gangspagadstate.pdf Year: 2001 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 121024 |
Author: Tait, Sean Title: Cooperation and Accountability in the Cross-border Policing of Southern Africa Summary: This publication presents seven articles concerning aspects of cross-border police cooperation in the Southern African region, with an emphasis (in part) on the issue of police accountability. As the papers make clear, the policing of crimes and the attempt to further peace in the region by joint action of two or more national police forces has grown apace in recent years. There are now regular joint police operations in a number of the states comprising the South African Development Community (SADC). An institutional structure has likewise been formed that brings together heads of police forces in the region. Numerous international treaties and agreements help regulate this police cooperation, which takes place both on a formal and on an ad hoc informal basis. While the emerging system has many flaws, there have also been notable successes, as the contributions demonstrate. Establishing effective cross-border police cooperation has been a tricky business, complicated by the diversity among the police agencies in the region and their largely under-resourced nature. It is perhaps surprising that in a relatively short space of time it has proceeded so far. This publication examines some of the current events and the extent to which the issue of accountability of police personnel in cross-border activities has been embodied in policing policy and practice. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, 2010. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 18, 2011 at: http://apcof.org.za/File_uploads/File/9781920355944-content.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Border Patrol Shelf Number: 121068 |
Author: Albertus, Chesne Title: Offender Reintegration in South Africa: A Complementary Crime Prevention Measure Summary: In 1995, the Constitutional Court of South Africa declared the death penalty unconstitutional, because the death penalty inter alia, rejected the possibility that those convicted could be rehabilitated. The Court held that such a rejection is inconsistent with ubuntu, a well-known South African concept characterised by respect for human dignity and the dominant theme that the life of another human being is as important as one’s own. From this it may be inferred that one of South Africa’s founding values requires respect for the life and dignity of everyone including those who have committed crime. This paper contends that although the Constitution does not expressly require the state to assist prisoners to reintegrate into society, its language and overall framework supports the notion of a constitutional obligation to support their rehabilitation. It is also argued that by not fulfilling this duty adequately, the state is contributing to repeat offending. It is proposed that if the duty to assist prisoners in reintegrating into mainstream society is accepted and complied with, a significant reduction in levels of crime could be achieved. Details: Pinelands, South Africa: Criminal Justice Initiative of Open Society Foundation for South Africa, 2010. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: CJI Occasional Paper No. 7: Accessed March 18, 2011 at: http://www.osf.org.za/File_Uploads/docs/CJI_Occasional_Paper_7.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Offender Rehabilitation (South Africa) Shelf Number: 121074 |
Author: Pelser, Eric Title: Learning to be Lost: Youth Crime in South Africa Summary: This document is a discussion paper debating policy that is relevant to youth crime in South Africa. The paper argues that youth crime, indeed, crime in South Africa, is a function of the development and replication, over the past 30 years of a “culture of violence“, a “normalisation of crime and violence” amongst an “underclass” of negatively socialised and socially excluded youth who constitute a significant proportion of South Africa’s population. The youth revolt of 1976 and the rebellion of the 1980s critically wounded the key institutions of informal authority – South Africa’s families and schools - and these have not been adequately healed. To put it bluntly, the children of yesterday’s “lost generation” have not, as yet, been found and given relief – rather, they are now learning to be lost. This, it is argued, can be attributed in part to a strategic misconception of the nature of crime in the country and, related to this, poor strategy options post 1994. The paper is presented as a discussion document and is intended to stimulate debate on the policy choices that need to be made to address the issues. The paper therefore provides a brief overview of the scope and nature of youth crime and victimisation, a look at the critical factors driving this, the current policy environment and then, some suggestions on what is likely to be effective in the future and the appropriate institutional arrangements for this. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2008. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 8, 2011 at: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-2774.phtml Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 121280 |
Author: Palmary, Ingrid Title: Re-imagining Women's Security: A Comparative Study of South Africa, Northern Ireland and Lebanon. South African Audit Summary: This report provides an overview of the status of the human security of women in South Africa. It is specifically focused on the political transition of the early 1990s. The issue of human security is discussed within the framework of the Constitution of 1996 as the central document emerging out of the negotiations. However, as there are several documents that came out of these negotiations, other key documents (in particular the Interim Constitution of 1993) are mentioned where it is appropriate. The Constitution, as a key output of the negotiations, resulted in a range of new legislation in line with newly protected rights and increasing democratisation of government and associated institutions. It also resulted in budget shifts to incorporate new needs driven by democratic principles and the creation of new institutions to safeguard democratic rights and principles. These ‘outworkings’ of the peace process are the focus of the first section of this audit. The key areas covered include: • constitutional issues and the key provisions in the Constitution that could impact of women’s security, the changes in governance that were brought about by the Constitution, as well as the transitional arrangements that were in place to allow for transition from a militarised and centralised State to a democratic one; • the significant regional commitments to which South Africa is a signatory and the relationships with the rest of Africa – particularly given South Africa’s history of conflict in the region. • the way that the socio-economic status of women has been dealt with; • the way that cultural issues were dealt with; • arrangements for reconciliation and victims of violence; • decommissioning and demobilisation; • democratisation of the security and policing services; • judicial transformation; and • the arrangements in place for political prisoners. The second section deals with changes in these areas since the transition in 1994 and how this has impacted on the status of women in South African society. It therefore, incorporates basic statistical information to provide a brief overview of changes in women’s lives that have resulted from the political transition. The indicators presented in this section are limited to the key areas of policy and institutional change identified in Section One in order to make some qualitative assessment as to the extent to which the ‘outworkings’ from the constitution may be impacting on the human security of women in South Africa. In addition, some new challenges to women’s security have been included, such as the spread of HIV/AIDS, because of the way that it has shifted policy concerns and had potentially devastating effects on the security of women. Central to this section is the recognition that women in South Africa are an extremely diverse group and the differences between women of different racial and class background may be greater than the differences between men and women within these groups. Therefore, although this audit deals with the general category of ‘women’, where possible, distinctions have been made between women of different racial classifications, as well as urban and rural women because of the ways that our history of racial inequality and staggered migration has affected women differently. Details: Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2006. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2011 at: http://www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/research/projects/rwsst/SA_Gender_Audit.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gender Based Violence Shelf Number: 121402 |
Author: Keil, Maria Clara Mauricio Pereira Title: An Investigation into the Success Factors Amongst Small Businesses in Gauteng Summary: Gauteng, the smallest of the nine South African provinces, but the largest in terms of its contribution to national GDP (33.9%), generates 10% of Africa’s GDP (Gauteng Enterprise Propeller Overview, 2007) and is therefore a very important geo-economical zone. As South Africa latest unemployment rate is 25.5% (StatsSA, 2006), Government is geared towards promoting small businesses in an effort to grow the economy and reduce unemployment. It is therefore very important to the economy that small businesses succeed, grow and provide employment. Due to the fact that at present, very little research into the success factors amongst small businesses in South Africa has been conducted in South Africa, it seems appropriate at this time to investigate the success factors of small businesses in Gauteng. The problem statement in this research is that there is insufficient knowledge relating to the factors contributing to the failure or success of small businesses in South Africa, Gauteng. To conduct this research, a qualitative and exploratory approach was decided upon. A literature survey on the subject was conducted in order to ground the current research in existing theory and research. A questionnaire was sent out by e-mail to 3776 businesses in Gauteng, to which the response rate was 3.15% (119 questionnaires were returned). The questionnaire was divided into sections and covered the definition of success, entrepreneurial personality characteristics of owner/manager, use of management tools, resource availability and the classification of respondents and their businesses. Due to the small size of the sample this research is not able to conclusively achieve the primary research objective of identifying the success factors of small businesses in Gauteng, but it has nevertheless contributed to the body of research on the matter, since it established that there is a correlation between: • Entrepreneurial personality and the success of small businesses • The use of management tools and the success of small businesses • The availability of resources and the success of small businesses. In addition the following can be reported: • The owner/managers surveyed attributed their success to: - persistence and determination - experience - entrepreneurial personality - business knowledge - a great team - education • The existence and or use of the business plan and its relationship to success remains inconclusive • Financial resources do not feature prominently as a success factor, but business skills do seem to correlate with success. Further research is necessary to pinpoint conclusively which traits and behaviours are conducive to success, by comparing successful and unsuccessful business owners. Other recommendations that arose from this research were: • Research should be conducted into the assumption that economic growth is driven by the proliferation of small businesses • Research into the weight of internal factors ((personality, experience, attitude, knowledge) versus that of external factors (start-up capital, business plans, skill availability, economic and legal conditions) would contribute to the body of knowledge and could trigger a shift in approach. The issue of the relationship between crime and the high unemployment rates in Gauteng are addressed in chapter 3. Details: Johannesburg, S. Africa: University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Management, 2009. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 27, 2011 at: http://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za:8080/dspace/bitstream/10210/2342/1/Keil.pdf Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bank Robberies Shelf Number: 121408 |
Author: Gear, Sasha Title: Situational Analysis of Boksburg Youth Centre Sexual Violence in Prison Pilot Project (Dec 2004 – Jan 2005) Summary: This report details the results of a piece of research or “situational analysis” that aimed to gather information mainly on issues related to violence, sex and sexual violence as experienced by the young men held at Boksburg Youth Centre (BYC). It also touched on some of their characteristics and experiences in the institution more broadly. This information will be used to direct a project to address sexual violence happening in BYC that the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) is embarking on with the youth centre. Down the line, it will also assist in assessing the progress and impact of the project. The goal of the pilot project is to develop and test management strategies for the prevention of sexual violence and destructive sexual practices in Boksburg Youth Centre (BYC). The main objectives are: To develop an understanding of the nature and extent of sexual violence and destructive sexual practices in Boksburg Youth Centre (Boksburg Correctional Centre B). To identify issues and challenges which contribute to the problem. To raise awareness about sexual violence, destructive sexual practices and related issues amongst personnel and inmates. To develop and test management strategies for the prevention of, and appropriate responses, to sexual violence and destructive sexual practices in BYC. Details: Johannes, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2006. 89p. Source: Internet Resoruce: Accessed April 27, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/consolidated1208.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Prison Rape ( South Africa) Shelf Number: 115380 |
Author: Consumer Goods Council of South Africa Title: Trend Report on Violent Crime at Shopping Centres March 2008 Summary: This report is aimed at providing shopping centre owners and managers with an overview of violent crime occurring at shopping centers. The data for this report was collected from the following sources: incidents reported to the initiative by shopping centers, South African Berau (SABRIC) recorded incidents, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) retail database and press reports. The Shopping Centre Security Initiative focuses specifically on violent crime occurring at shopping centers. The initiative has identified a number of different categories of violent crime that occur at, or are linked to, shopping centers. These categories include: Cash-in Transit: This refers to robberies of bulk cash whilst in the custody of Cash-in Transit service providers. With regards to shopping centers, these robberies could occur while the cash-in-transit service provider’s vehicle is moving or ‘cross pavement’ where the personel of the cash-in-transit service provider is robbed while making their way to the vehicle. Robberies: Where armed robberies occur in an actual retail outlet situated in a shopping centre. These robberies involve both cash and merchandise - including valuables such as jewelry or cellular phones. Robberies are associated with the threat of weapons. Hi-Jackings: This refers to armed robberies of vehicles either at the shopping centre itself or where the victim is followed from the shopping centre and then robbed of their vehicle outside the shopping centre premises. ATM Attacks: This refers specifically to where explosives were used by criminals in order to disable ATM machines. Shopping centers as places to target victims: This refers to incidents where criminals make use of shopping centers to identify people to be targeted and then follow the targeted victim out of the shopping centre and rob them outside the shopping centre premises. Details: South Africa: Consumer Goods Council, Crime Prevention Council, 2008. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 27, 2011 at: www.restaurant.org.za/downloads/crime1.pdf Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Automated Teller Machines (ATM) Crimes Shelf Number: 121541 |
Author: Dix-Peek, Dominique Title: Profiling Torture II: Addressing Torture and Its Consequences in South Africa Summary: The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) is a multi-disciplinary institute whose primary goal is to use its expertise in building reconciliation, democracy and a human rights culture, and in preventing violence in South Africa and other countries in Africa. The Trauma and Transition Programme (TTP) of the CSVR aims to sustain democracy through addressing the issues of unresolved trauma, torture, criminal violence and forced migration through psychosocial support, research and advocacy in South Africa and the continent. TTP was set up in 1989 to offer a free counselling service to victims of political violence. Since the mid-1990s we have seen a shift from political violence to criminal violence within the country. From the late 1990s, TTP began counselling refugees and asylum seekers, individuals and groups from various African countries who had experienced violent conflict in their home countries and/or violence in South Africa. With the support of the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT), since 2007, TTP has embarked on a project aiming to strengthen the struggle against torture in South Africa and the African region. One of our objectives is to develop a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluating (M&E) system for the psychosocial services provided to victims of torture. The development of all M&E instruments and the system itself was informed by current theory and achieved through collaboration between clinical staff, researchers, external consultants, and RCT staff. The system has changed over time to accommodate challenges encountered through implementation. As the aims of M&E include the creation of spaces for reflection and learning, it is hoped that this process will help us learn more about our interventions and assist clinicians in improving their services to victims of torture. It also allows us to gather data on victims of torture within our context. A new phase in the project was initiated in 2009 and will run until 2011. This report is one of the outputs under this project. It is the third report of its kind as a 2009 report and a 2010 mid-year report have already been produced. This report looks at 2010 and describes the group of torture clients who received counselling services during this period, although the impact data includes clients up until 2010. After going through a general TTP intake, a client has one session with his/her counsellor in order to provide immediate support and containment, after which a more comprehensive M&E intake is done. After every session, the clinician should complete a counselling Intervention Process Note (IPN) and after every six sessions, the client is asked to complete a self-assessment to assess his/her improvement in function or reduction in symptoms. When counselling ends, the clinician should complete a Termination Intervention Process Note (Termination IPN). This report uses the information obtained through this system by detailing the characteristics of clients who completed an intake assessment in 2010; providing baseline data in terms of the 4 impact that our services have had on clients since the beginning of the project; providing examples of individual Client Progress Reports produced in 2010; describing the drop-out rates for the year, including the reason for drop-out; and outlining the compliance rates achieved in terms of documentation of M&E instruments. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2010. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/csvrrctannual.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Mental Health Services Shelf Number: 121565 |
Author: Kole, Olaotse John Title: An Examination of Security Measures for the Protection of Petrol Stations: An Anslysis of Case Studies in Gauteng Summary: Security measures need to be put in place in order to deal with any security weaknesses that might occur or be observed. Care should be taken when addressing any crime or loss problem in any organisation, in this research study more specifically: petrol stations. It is clear that because of their diverse locations petrol stations have different levels of risks, e.g. low, medium and/or high risks. The study explored many issues including, among the others: security measures; petrol stations’ busiest times; vulnerable assets at petrol stations. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2010. 226p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 5, 2011 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/3847 Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Shelf Number: 121654 |
Author: Zannoni, Elio Title: Jewellery Store Robbery: A Victim Risk and Intervention Perspective Summary: This exploratory study investigated jewellery store robbery from a victim risk and intervention perspective. An explanation of the phenomenon was offered based on the information obtained from a review of the existing literature, case studies, personal observations at jewellery stores, discussions with jewellers, a scientific questionnaire submitted to jewellers, and semi-structured and structured interviews conducted with a group of knowledgeable respondents and victimized jewellers respectively. A predominantly quantitative research method was applied. The research findings obtained during the study enabled a proposal for a jewellery store robbery intervention model based on the situational crime prevention perpsective, which is inclusive of decisional, environmental, situational, procedural, personnel and business-oriented strategies. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2009. 259p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 11, 2011 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/1693/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Commercial Robbery Shelf Number: 121717 |
Author: Haffejee, Sadiyya Title: Violence and Abuse in the Lives of Women and Girls Incarcerated at Three Gauteng Women's Prisons Summary: When battered women kill their abusive partners there is an obvious relationship between the violence inflicted upon them and their subsequent actions. Whether or not other prior experiences of violence or abuse also play a role in women’s unlawful acts has not, however, been investigated. Further, while a body of research is beginning to emerge in South Africa around violence in men’s prisons (Haysom, 1981; Gear and Ngubeni, 2002; Steinberg, 2004) no corresponding exploration of the situation in women’s prisons has been undertaken. This research brief presents findings from a study conducted in three women’s prisons in Gauteng exploring these two questions. It briefly describes the nature and extent of violence experienced by women and girls in conflict with the law, both prior to as well as during incarceration; and the relationship between such experiences of violence and the commission of unlawful acts. Both sets of questions are important for the prevention of women’s offending, as well as the informed sentencing and management of female offenders. Details: Braamfontein, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2006. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: CSVR Gender Programme, Research Brief No. 03: Accessed July 8, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/wits/papers/paphvg1.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Battered Women Shelf Number: 122010 |
Author: Gear, Sasha Title: Fear, Violence and Sexual Violence in a Gauteng Juvenile Correctional Centre for Males Summary: During December 2004 and January 2005, the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) conducted fieldwork for a survey with young offenders held at the Boksburg Youth Correctional Centre (BYC), a medium security institution for male juvenile offenders. The aim was to investigate their experiences related to violence, sex and sexual violence in prison. The survey was envisaged as the first step in a pilot project to work with BYC staff to develop strategies to prevent and respond to sexual violence at the youth centre. The stigma, taboo and fear layered into the subject matter (sexual violence and male victims) and the context of the research (prison), as well as the mainly quantatitive survey methodology, likely limited what respondents were willing and able to share with us. Nevertheless, substantial and useful findings emerged. Our intention was not to “expose” conditions in BYC as a specific institution. Rather it was to prepare the way for the pilot and to draw learnings that could also potentially benefit other correctional centres and organisations working with offenders, at the same time as building better understanding of our youth behind our bars. This brief outlines the young men’s reports of fear and violence including sexual violence in the institution. Details: Braamfontein, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2007. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: CSVR Criminal Justice Programme, Briefing Report No. 02: Accessed July 8, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/gender/fearviolence.pdf Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Corrections Shelf Number: 122011 |
Author: Vetten, Lisa Title: Urban Predators: An Analysis of Gang Rapes Reported at Six Inner-City Johannesburg Police Stations Summary: Little is known about rape involving multiple perpetrators in South Africa. This policy brief, a quantitative analysis of 162 rapes (both attempted and completed) reported at six police stations in Johannesburg during 1999 and involving two or more perpetrators, outlines and describes a variety of features associated with such rapes. It also explores what differences, if any, exist between rapes involving one assailant and those with multiple assailants, and provides some recommendations aimed at combating gang rape. Details: Braamfontein, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2005. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: CSVR Gender Programme, Policy Brief No. 01: Accessed July 8, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/gender/urban.pdf Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gang Rape (South Africa) Shelf Number: 122012 |
Author: Zannoni, Elio Title: Jewellery Store Robbery: A Victim Risk and Intervention Perspective Summary: The exploratory study investigated jewellery store robbery from a victim risk and intervention perspective. An explanation of the phenomenon was offered based on the information obtained from a review of the existing literature, case studies, personal observations at jewellery stores, discussions with jewellers, a scientific questionnaire submitted to jewellers, and semi-structured and structured interviews conducted with a group of knowledgeable respondents and victimised jewellers respectively. A predominantly quantitative research method was applied. The research findings obtained during the study enabled a proposal for a jewellery store robbery intervention model based on the situational crime prevention perspective, which is inclusive of decisional, environmental, situational, procedural, personnel and business-oriented strategies. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2008. 259p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2011 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/1693/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Jewelry Stores Shelf Number: 122016 |
Author: Hadland, Adrian Title: In Terror and In Silence: An Investigation into Safety Levels and Standards at Petrol Stations Summary: What do we know about the petrol attendants we see on an almost daily basis? They are often subjected to verbal abuse. In fact, most of our 5000 petrol attendants live and work in constant fear, as this report shows. The study found that at least one violent crime is committed every day at a South African petrol station. To top it all, petrol attendants are amongst the most poorly paid employees in our formal economy. In response to the shocking murder of five Grassy Park petrol station attendants last year, the HSRC Social Cohesion and Integration (SCI) Research Programme, in conjunction with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Community Chest and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) launched an extensive study into the dynamics and social conditions at South Africa's petrol stations. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Human Sciences Research Council, 2002. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2011 at: http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/product.php?productid=1992&freedownload=1 Year: 2002 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gasoline Stations Shelf Number: 122067 |
Author: Olckers, Casparus Title: An Examination of the Impact of Residential Security Measures on the Incidence of Residential Burglary in Two Selected Northern Suburbs of Johannesburg: A Security Risk Management Approach Summary: This project was of specific importance to the private security industry, victims of residential burglary, community policing forums and the South African Police Service in providing detailed information regarding recommendations of how to manage and combat residential burglary in two selected northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Problem statement Residential burglary is categorised in the top three highest reported crimes according to the official South African Police Service statistics for the 2006/7 financial years. A series of victim interviews, docket analysis, case plotting and residential security audit surveys were conducted to determine the extent (or lack thereof) of security measures at a burgled residence in the selected area. Approach Field data was collected through docket analysis, plotting crime scenes (descriptive mapping), victim interviews and residential security audit surveys. Results The majority of victims of burglary interviewed did not have the minimum security system (integrated measures) in place. Those victims, who had security measures, appeared not to have made or implemented effective use of them. Conclusion Security at a residence extends beyond just the immediate house area and the focus (security risk assessment) should start with the immediate neighbourhood (community) area working inwards towards the property perimeter (boundary), inner perimeter (garden area) and then finally the immediate house area. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2007. 335p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2011 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/1276 Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Private Security Industry Shelf Number: 122290 |
Author: Sewpersad, Sarika Title: An Investigation of the Bombing of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with Intent to Steal Cash Contents: Case Study from Gauteng Summary: This research was approached and written from a security risk management position. The main aim was to determine the nature and extent of the theft of cash contents by means of the bombing of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in Gauteng. Security measures that currently exist at ATMs with the specific focus on crimes associated with the bombing of ATMs were examined and evaluated. This was done in order to determine if current security measures at ATMs are sufficient to curb ATM bombings. The research provides an examination of the modus operandi of perpetrators of ATM bombings, inter alia looking at such issues as explosives used, time, location, cash stolen, and the use of weapons. This modus operandi was researched in order to develop an understanding of the perpetrators behaviour and to compile a profile of the perpetrator. The methods used in the perpetration of the crime were also researched, so that recommendations with regard to improving ATM security measures could be made. In addition, due to the specific focus of the problem of ATM bombings in Gauteng, a detailed analysis of the areas’ most affected in Gauteng was made. In South Africa, there is no such crime as ATM bombings per se, and perpetrators of such attacks are often charged with various other crimes, including those under the explosives act. The lack of evidence at the scene of a bombing often leads to cases being filed as undetected. This results in perpetrators still walking the streets waiting for law enforcement personnel to turn their focus to another crime, so that they can once again target ATMs. This research may assist investigators/detectives. For example, if CCTV cameras are installed at all ATMs, it will provide more evidence for them. By comparing and studying footage from different ATMs, the detectives will be able to determine which ATMs were attacked by the same gangs. The first two chapters’ set out the background and motivation for the study as well as the research methodology and the limitations experienced during the research. Chapter one in particular provides details on the need for such a study and outlines the extent of ATM bombings in Gauteng as well as in South Africa. It delineates the major issues associated with the bombing of ATMs. This is inclusive of the impact on society (banks clients) and banking institutions as well as the danger it poses to the general public and public and private law enforcement personnel. Since there is little literature available on the subject of ATM bombings, the third chapter outlines the various bank security threats that banking institutions face. In addition, it looks closely at the numerous other ATM crimes carried out by perpetrators both locally and internationally, suggesting that ATMs be equipped with sufficient security measures to secure ATMs from all sorts of crimes that can be perpetrated against it. Chapter three and four, provide the research findings on the areas in Gauteng most affected, the current state of security measures at ATMs and the modus operandi of the ATM bomber. In the fifth chapter, focus is primarily on the modus operandi of ATM bombing syndicates. It discusses the detailed findings from planning to the execution of an ATM bombing. Finally, chapter six provides a summary of the findings, conclusions are drawn and recommendations made. The following objectives were fulfilled in this study: • Areas, towns/suburbs and type of locations most affected were identified, • Findings in relation to security measures at ATMs were made with regard to lighting, CCTV, ATM alarms, physical barriers, customer awareness and other special devices. It was also established where ATMs were lacking in security measures that specifically address the problem of ATM bombings, • The type of ATMs most affected was established of ATMs. This is inclusive of the impact on society (banks clients) and banking institutions as well as the danger it poses to the general public and public and private law enforcement personnel. Since there is little literature available on the subject of ATM bombings, the third chapter outlines the various bank security threats that banking institutions face. In addition, it looks closely at the numerous other ATM crimes carried out by perpetrators both locally and internationally, suggesting that ATMs be equipped with sufficient security measures to secure ATMs from all sorts of crimes that can be perpetrated against it. Chapter three and four, provide the research findings on the areas in Gauteng most affected, the current state of security measures at ATMs and the modus operandi of the ATM bomber. In the fifth chapter, focus is primarily on the modus operandi of ATM bombing syndicates. It discusses the detailed findings from planning to the execution of an ATM bombing. Finally, chapter six provides a summary of the findings, conclusions are drawn and recommendations made. The following objectives were fulfilled in this study: • Areas, towns/suburbs and type of locations most affected were identified, • Findings in relation to security measures at ATMs were made with regard to lighting, CCTV, ATM alarms, physical barriers, customer awareness and other special devices. It was also established where ATMs were lacking in security measures that specifically address the problem of ATM bombings, • The type of ATMs most affected was established The modus operandi of ATM bombers was established. This also addressed issues regarding the amount and frequency of cash stolen; the use of violence; death and injuries resulting from ATM bombings; banks most affected; weapons used; size of gangs; use and purchasing of commercial explosives; most popular days and times for attacks; the use of expert members and other tools and vehicles used. Moreover, this study provides a framework for banking institutions to understand what is lacking in ATM security measures and the methods used by ATM bombers to successfully gain access to the cash stored at ATMs. In addition, the police, ATM distributors and private security personnel can use the information provided in order to improve methods of investigation as well as protecting themselves against ATM bombers and bombings. The banking industry may also use the recommendations to improve the security at ATMs by restructuring it to their specific needs. This dissertation covers (extensively) the extent of ATM bombings in Gauteng; the current state of security measures at ATMs; the modus operandi of ATM bombing gangs and the use of explosives. Recommendations are made regarding the improvement of ATM security measures in an attempt to curb the problem of ATM bombings in Gauteng. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2010. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 16, 2011 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/4112/dissertation_sewpersad_s.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Automated Teller Machines (ATM's), South Africa Shelf Number: 122400 |
Author: Vetten, Lisa Title: Tracking Justice: The Attrition of Rape Cases through the Criminal Justice System in Gauteng Summary: An exploration of how the criminal justice system processes complaints of rape is essential for at least two reasons. Firstly, it establishes the measure of justice afforded rape complainants and thus enables South African society to hold criminal justice system personnel to account. Secondly, it provides insight into how and why justice may be eroded and the criminal justice system’s consequent ability to deter sexual violence weakened. In pursuit of these objectives we undertook a study in Gauteng Province to describe the processing of rape complaints, as well as their outcome, from the time such complaints were reported in 2003, to the point at which they were disposed of by either the police or courts. The research also describes the characteristics of reported rape in the province. Our study was undertaken in Gauteng Province where, in 2003, a total of 11 926 rapes were reported at the 128 police stations in Gauteng Province. A sample was drawn for the study using a two stage procedure. The first stage drew a sample of 70 police stations using probability proportional to size, where size was based on the number of rape cases reported to the police in 2003. Within each police station all the closed rape cases for the year were identified by their CAS numbers and a random sample of 30 dockets was selected (or all cases if fewer than 30 cases were reported in that year to the sampled police station). The dockets were then located either at the police station or at the specialist Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Units and data abstracted. There was no replacement of dockets that were unavailable. This procedure provided a sample of 2,068 cases for the study. Records for those cases that went to court were obtained from both High Courts in the province, as well as all 30 magistrates’ courts. Details: Johannesburg: Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, the South African Medical Research Council and the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2008. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/tracking_justice.pdf Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Courts Shelf Number: 115817 |
Author: von Holdt, Karl Title: The Smoke that Calls: Insurgent Citizenship, Collective Violence and the Struggle for a Place in the New South Africa: Eight Case Studies of Community Protest and Xenophobic Violence Summary: There are several innovations to the research projects captured in this report. Firstly, it consists of studies of both xenophobic violence and community protests, drawing the links both empirically as one of collective action spawns or mutates into another, and theoretically through the concept of insurgent citizenship (Holston, 2008). Secondly, the research was conceived of, and conducted, through a collaboration between an NGO, The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) and an academic research institute, the Society Work and Development Institute (SWOP) at University of the Witwatersrand. This brought together scholars and practitioners, psychologists and sociologists, in a challenging and productive partnership to try to understand collective violence and its underlying social dynamics. Thirdly, it combines an attempt to probe and understand the repertoires and meanings of collective violence with a wide-ranging analysis of local associational life, local politics and class formation. The origins of this research lay in the appalling violence of the wave of xenophobic attacks which swept across the country in May 2008, and the response of both organisations to this. CSVR was rapidly drawn into coordinating the relief work of NGOs across Gauteng, while in SWOP there was a sense that this violence connected to current research on strike violence and social precariousness. For both of our organisations, it seemed increasingly important to look at this outbreak of violence with a fresh eye for ways in which it challenged our understanding of the depths of anger, fragmentation, exclusion and violence in our society and, more specifically, the intervention practices which still drew much of their inspiration from the negotiated transition to democracy in South Africa. Ready assumptions about violence as pathological or criminal, about ‘lost generations’, about ‘community organisations’ and ‘civil society’, conflict mediation and educational workshops, needed to be tested with empirical research and new theoretical perspectives. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2011. 142p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/thesmokethatcalls.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Collective Violence (South Africa) Shelf Number: 122645 |
Author: Financial Action Task Force. Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group Title: Mutual Evaluation Report Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Summary: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) have jointly assessed the implementation of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) standards in South Africa. Among its major findings were: • South Africa has made good progress in developing its system for combating money laundering (ML) and the financing of terrorism (FT) since its last FATF mutual evaluation in 2003. • The money laundering offence is generally in line with the Vienna and Palermo Conventions, although a lack of comprehensive statistics made it difficult to assess effectiveness. Provisions criminalising the financing of terrorism are comprehensive, although they are not yet tested in practice. • The Financial Intelligence Centre (“the Centre”) is an effective financial intelligence unit. • The confiscation scheme is comprehensive and utilises effective civil forfeiture measures. Since 2003, South Africa has also adopted mechanisms to freeze terrorist-related assets. • The FIC Act imposes customer due diligence, record keeping, and suspicious transaction reporting and internal control requirements. It should be noted that, after the FIC Act came into force, South Africa implemented a program to re-identify all existing customers. The issue of beneficial ownership has not yet been addressed, however, and South Africa also needs to adopt measures dealing with politically exposed persons (PEPs) and correspondent banking. • The FIC Act covers some designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs); however, South Africa needs to broaden the legislation to cover dealers in precious metals and stones, company service providers, and more broadly cover accountants. • At the time of the on-site visit, there were not adequate powers to supervise and enforce compliance with AML/CFT provisions; however, amendments to FIC Act have been enacted, and when they enter into force this year they will significantly enhance the compliance regime. • South African authorities have established effective mechanisms to co-operate on operational matters to combat ML and FT. South Africa can also provide a wide range of mutual legal assistance, including the possibility to extradite its own nationals. Details: Paris: FATF-GAFI, 2009. 244p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 16, 2011 at: http://www.fatf-gafi.org/dataoecd/60/15/42432085.pdf Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Financial Crimes (South Africa Shelf Number: 122753 |
Author: Watson, Calinka Title: The Organised Crime of Organ Trafficking Summary: Across the world today people are selling their bodily organs to organ trafficking syndicates in order to make money for necessities and to pay off loans used in order to survive. Modern medical technology has vastly improved the outcome of organ transplants and survival rates of human organ recipients. This in turn means that as a survival option many more potential recipients are being placed on waiting lists in order to receive organ transplants. What therefore contributes to the organised crime of black markets in human organs is the great shortages in the numbers of donated organ necessary for organ transplantations. This is due to increased numbers of patients on transplant waiting lists. Poor donors are therefore willing, in the nonregulated system of organ trade, to sell their organs to increase their fortunes and rich ill recipients are willing to pay any price for any organ. Organised crime legislation and medical policies today make this activity illegal and this can be said to be half the problem in increased organ markets and organ trafficking syndicates. The traditional system of organ donation, namely altruistic organ donation without compensation, is no longer effective enough in ensuring that sufficient numbers of human organs are donated yearly to meet the demand. Hospitals and other non-governmental organisations or institutions dealing with organ donation, procurement and human organ transplantation are in desperate need of such organs for organ transplants. For this reason various solutions have been illustrated as methods in eliminating the organised crime of organ trafficking and increasing available organs needed for transplantation. Some of these options include national organ donor registries to track current organ donors, presumed consent laws which require donors to specifically opt out of an organ donor registry, conscription or state owned organs as well as future’s markets or donation contracts and other forms of compensation to donors such as tax deductions, preference for future organ transplants above other recipients and remuneration for all expenses incurred and lost during the organ donation period. Educational and public media programmes have also been suggested to educate average citizens on the issue of organ transplantation and to make them aware of organ trafficking and the need for donated organs, whether such human organs are donated while the donor is alive or if the donor only consent to such removal of organs once deceased. Many ethical dilemmas exist regarding these various ideas to increase donated organs. People feel that by selling human organs for example, poor donors will be exploited and altruistic donations will no longer be willing to donate their organs because of feelings of disgust for newly designed organ donation legislation. Beyond this fear lies the fear that if organ markets were legalised only richer members of society would be able to afford organ transplantations and that thereby poorer people would not have access to organ transplants. The situation without such a legalised market in place, however, already exploits the poor members of society and bad health risks for both the organ donor and organ recipient ensue due to shocking medical surroundings and incorrect procedures used in illegal organ transplantations. What is recommended therefore is that such legalised systems of compensated organ donation are to work in conjunction with the traditional altruistic system of organ donation and other methods used to increase organ donation and that legislation be correctly drafted and implemented to benefit both organ donor and organ recipient. It is deemed that such a legalised system of organ sales will eventually eliminate the organised crime of organ trafficking as the illegal demand for such organs will no longer exist. This will occur because of increased organ donations due to, amongst other methods of organ procurement, educational programmes and organ donors receiving some form of compensation for their donation. Details: Bloemfontein, South Africa: University of the Free State, Department of Criminal and Medical Law, 2006. 308p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2011 at: http://etd.uovs.ac.za/ETD-db/theses/available/etd-06142007-072827/unrestricted/WatsonC.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Organ Trafficking Shelf Number: 122806 |
Author: Nnabugwu-Otesanya, Bernadette Ekwutosi Title: A Comparative Study of Prostitutes in Nigeria and Botswana Summary: This study attempts to understand prostitution from their definition of the situation. It differs in its method from other studies on prostitution in that the investigation was based on the prostitutes' own perspectives as interpreted by the researcher using the interpretative epistemological tradition. A comparative analysis of prostitution in two economically stable African Countries, namely Nigeria and Botswana was made. This study investigated society's perception of prostitutes and how it impacts upon their empowerment and emancipation as vulnerable members of the society and their participation in prevention and control of sexually transmitted infection including HIV/AIDS. Also the role of governments and individuals in creating and sustaining prostitution, an extensive insight to the modus operandi of prostitution and suggestions on how best to address prostitution in society, were discussed. A triangulated methodology of three hundred and twenty five sexworkers (325) that includes a quantitative study of two hundred and five sex workers complimented with a qualitative study of one hundred and twenty sex workers participating in focus group discussion and case studies informed the study. The findings of the research suggest that in the prostitutes' own definition of the situation; prostitutes contribute to the maintenance of societal equilibrium, the society creates and sustains prostitution. Economic need rather than lack of morals creates prostitutes and their situation of vulnerability as women is being reinforced by their status as prostitutes. Violence from partners that includes the police and the inability to reprimand their clients, are some hazards of prostitution and these result in their mobility and creates a challenge in adequately addressing the issue of prostitution in society, including their limited participation in the control of STDs. Respondents in Botswana had a very good knowledge of STI's /HIV/AIDS and had no difficulties in going to hospital in the event of any STD's as compared with Nigerian respondents. The Nigerian respondents' indulged in self-medication with antibiotics and traditional herbs mixed in local gin before and after a sexual act, rather than go to hospitals. The research findings should assist the government and international community's policies and programmes aimed at addressing prostitution and STDs/HIV/AIDS. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa (UNISA), 2005. v.p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 3, 2011 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/1588 Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Prostitutes Shelf Number: 122965 |
Author: von Holdt, Karl Title: The Smoke That Calls: Insurgent citizenship, collective violence and the struggle for a place in the new South Africa. Eight case studies of community protest and xenophobic violence Summary: There are several innovations to the research projects captured in this report. Firstly, it consists of studies of both xenophobic violence and community protests, drawing the links both empirically as one of collective action spawns or mutates into another, and theoretically through the concept of insurgent citizenship (Holston, 2008). Secondly, the research was conceived of, and conducted, through a collaboration between an NGO, The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) and an academic research institute, the Society Work and Development Institute (SWOP) at University of the Witwatersrand. This brought together scholars and practitioners, psychologists and sociologists, in a challenging and productive partnership to try to understand collective violence and its underlying social dynamics. Thirdly, it combines an attempt to probe and understand the repertoires and meanings of collective violence with a wide-ranging analysis of local associational life, local politics and class formation. The origins of this research lay in the appalling violence of the wave of xenophobic attacks which swept across the country in May 2008, and the response of both organisations to this. CSVR was rapidly drawn into coordinating the relief work of NGOs across Gauteng, while in SWOP there was a sense that this violence connected to current research on strike violence and social precariousness. For both of our organisations, it seemed increasingly important to look at this outbreak of violence with a fresh eye for ways in which it challenged our understanding of the depths of anger, fragmentation, exclusion and violence in our society and, more specifically, the intervention practices which still drew much of their inspiration from the negotiated transition to democracy in South Africa. Ready assumptions about violence as pathological or criminal, about ‘lost generations’, about ‘community organisations’ and ‘civil society’, conflict mediation and educational workshops, needed to be tested with empirical research and new theoretical perspectives. While we were developing the research proposals and beginning discussions with potential funders, a new wave of conflict swept across the country, with the epicentre—as in the xenophobic violence—in Gauteng. The community protests against poor service delivery, corruption and the lack of consultation with communities by government often flared into violence between protesters and police, and not infrequently involved episodes of xenophobic violence as well. The research project was re-conceptualised to explore the differences and linkages between these different forms of collective action and violence and, with funding secured, researchers were in the field in late 2009. Our research methodology was designed to achieve the benefits both of in-depth qualitative research to explore the meanings, relationships and contestations within a specific research site, and the insights of comparative perspectives across research sites. The small team of researchers researched a diverse selection of eight different sites in two provinces over the following year, with each researcher being involved in at least two research sites, so that all researchers were fully alive to the comparative dimension of the research. A combination of key informant and snowballing selection was used to identify interviewees, and researchers also employed participant observation, attending meetings, rallies and parties, as well as hanging out in taverns and homes. Jacob Dlamini’s influence on our research strategies requires particular mention, as he used his sharply honed newshound skills to conduct impromptu interviews and informal focus groups on street corners, in taxis and taverns, and at community water points. Other researchers learned from this, and applied similar research tactics in their sites. Caroline Moser’s ‘community mapping’ research strategy helped us to think through the implications of this (Moser & McIlwain, 2004). We have committed ourselves to maintaining the confidentiality of informants, given the sensitive and controversial nature of the information they provided us, which could expose them to considerable danger from local elites and rivals. Hence, we have attempted to conceal not only individual identities, but also the identity of research sites. We trust that readers will bear with this sometimes cumbersome requirement. The overall comparative analysis, as well as the insights of the more detailed site case studies, is explored in the body of this report. Here, we would like to draw attention only to four key observations that strike us when we consider the report as a whole. The first is the critical role played by the police in collective violence—a peculiar combination of absence and unnecessary and provocative violence. Regarding their absence, the initial role of the police in our studies of xenophobic violence—as in studies by others—was the lack of a serious effort on their part to prevent attacks or protect foreign nationals in the early stages of violence. They seemed only to move into action after the first fury of mob attacks, and then only in tandem with local organisations such as ANC branches or CPFs. A similar absence is registered in, at least, one of the community protest episodes, when the local police told councillors whose houses were attacked and destroyed that it was not their job to protect them. On the other hand, our studies of community protests show that police actions escalated confrontation and tension which rapidly took the form of running street battles between protesters and police officers. There was widespread condemnation in communities of provocative violence against crowds of protesters on the part of police. Even more troubling were the incidents of random assault and allegations of torture against suspected protest leaders and their families in some of the communities—reports and allegations that have been repeated in more recent protests, such as those at Ermelo and Ficksburg where protest leader Andries Tatane died at the hands of the police. The police are, therefore, critically important protagonists in collective violence, both when they are absent from scenes of mass violence, and when they themselves engage in collective violence against protesting communities. Second, the counterpart to the police as protagonists is the role of the youth, mostly young men but including young women, in collective violence, both in spearheading xenophobic attacks as well as engaging in battles with the police and destroying public property during community protests. This is not a new observation, but it is nonetheless an important one. Many of those who participate in the violence are unemployed, live in poverty, and see no prospect of a change in these circumstances. Theirs, they feel, is a half-life, as they are unable to participate as full citizens in the economy and society. Impoverished young men, in particular, experience this as the undermining of their masculinity as they are unable to establish families. Protest provides them with an opportunity to exert their masculinity through violence and to experience themselves as representing the community and fighting on its behalf. Unless widescale strategies for social and economic inclusion address this issue, social fragmentation and violence is likely to continue. A third observation concerns the interface between sociology and psychology. In many ways these two disciplines are difficult to bring together because of the contrasting questions they ask and their divergent narratives. However, concepts of ‘collective trauma’ explored in the chapter by Nomfundo Mogapi seem to provide a way of addressing this disjunction and finding common ground. This is a new field—certainly to us—and holds out promise for future research and analysis that enables us to explore this interface at a deeper level. Finally, we want to draw attention to the significance of the Bokfontein study. While most of the studies focus their attention on the ugliest dimensions of local politics and the competition for resources, Bokfontein provides a reminder of what is possible in South Africa. The Community Work Programme (CWP) enabled a very traumatised and marginalised community to address both the collective trauma and its supporting narratives, and imagine a different future for themselves and at the same time provided avenues for young people to focus their energies on participating in a collective effort to transform their communities. One of the results was the end of intra-community violence and the deliberate rejection of xenophobic violence—achieved, it must be said, without any police action at all. After the immersion in the perversity and desperation of much human endeavour in our society, it was profoundly inspiring for our research team to encounter this place of hope with its combination of visionary and practical agency. Truly, the nations will be amazed! Details: Johannesburg, S. Africa; Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation; Wits, S. Africa; Society, Work and Development Institute, Uniersity of the Witwatersrand, 2011. 142p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2011 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/thesmokethatcalls.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bias-Motivated Crimes Shelf Number: 123013 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: The Law and Business of Criminal Record Expungement in South Africa Summary: This report reviews the use and expungement of criminal records in South Africa and was prompted by a recent amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act which created, for the first time, a mechanism for certain criminal convictions to be expunged. The situation of criminal records and their expungement is, however, not a simple one and the creation of additional registers (Sex Offender Register, Child Protection Register and Diversion Register) have added another dimension to the issue. The overall impression from the legal framework is that different pieces of legislation use different yardsticks in respect of expungements. It is furthermore a general conclusion that the scope of the mechanism created in the Criminal Procedure is extremely narrow and that very few former offenders would in fact benefit from it. The creation of this mechanism also saw the private sector creating a profit opportunity with some companies charging amounts as high as R7 500 for handling the expungement application, a procedure that should cost no more than R100. The report concludes by recommending that the retention and expungement of criminal records should be selective, purposeful and based on knowledge. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. 18: Accessed October 28, 2011 at: http://www.communitylawcentre.org.za/clc-projects/civil-society-prison-reform-initiative/publications-1/cspri-publications/SACriminal_record_expungement.PDF/ Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Records (South Africa) Shelf Number: 123162 |
Author: Ballard, Clare Title: Research Report on Remand Detention in South Africa: An Overview of the Current Law and Proposals for Reform Summary: This research report provides an overview of the necessary research to develop possible solutions for limiting the amount of time remand detainees spend in custody. The report discusses, firstly, the bail provisions in the Criminal Procedure Act with regard to the right to liberty and in the broader constitutional notion of proportionality. Second, case law from regional and international bodies dealing with pre-trial release is explored, and third, detention time limits and automatic bail review proceedings are discussed. Fourth, the conceptual distinction between fair trial rights and liberty interests and the South African courts’ treatment of “undue delay” cases is described. The report concludes with the recommendation that a constitutional challenge, based on the Criminal Procedure Act’s failure to adequately protect the accused’s right to liberty, be brought on behalf of South Africa’s remand detainees. Such a challenge would be based on the right to liberty and argue that without custody time limits and a regular, automatic review of bail decisions, the law in relation to bail, as it currently stands, is unconstitutional. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2011. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: http://www.communitylawcentre.org.za/clc-projects/civil-society-prison-reform-initiative/publications-1/cspri-publications/Remand_Detention_in_SA.pdf/ Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bail (South Africa) Shelf Number: 123163 |
Author: Aboagye, F.B. Title: Bottlenecks to Deployment! Police Capacity Building and Deployment in Africa Summary: Changes in the nature of conflicts during the post-Cold War period led to changes in the nature of peacekeeping, from being a tool in mediating inter-state conflicts to that of intra-state conflicts. Peacekeepers are no longer deployed as an interposition force between warring states, but as part of broad efforts in support of peace implementation. Furthermore, rather than the purely traditional military deployments, modern peacekeeping deployments now involve considerable numbers of police officers (and civilians) in multidimensional missions. Against this backdrop, the Norwegian-funded Training for Peace (TfP) Programme has been involved in international and regional efforts to provide training support for police capacity building, as well as civilian, for deployment to UN and AU missions in Africa and elsewhere. Th is study was undertaken as part of the TfP initiative to explore the police training environment and gauge some of the key challenges to the smooth deployment of trained police officers: priorities of national police organisations, sequencing of training, gender disparities, and strategic and operational level coordination, among others. The study uses experiences gained from the years of police training provided by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) to two police regions in Africa, namely the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) and the Eastern African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO). This paper complements the results of a separate study that focused on bottlenecks to civilian training and deployment. The key questions that inform this study are: What are the practical imperatives of the demand for African capacities? ■ What are the challenges faced in building capacities in Africa? ■ What can be done to address the challenges of capacity building? ■ What are the training approaches adopted by partners towards building African capacities? Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2010. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 221: Accessed October 28, 2011 at: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/Paper221.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Administration Shelf Number: 123166 |
Author: Skelton, Ann Title: The Criminal Capacity of Children in South Africa: International Developments & Considerations for a Review Summary: The purpose of the research is to give an overview of the different debates and international developments on the establishment of a minimum age of criminal capacity and the doli incapax presumptions with a view to assist the South African Parliament in its legally mandated review of the minimum age of criminal capacity. The facts and findings in this research report may also be used as a basis for starting a debate on questions such as what the minimum age should be, and whether the current legal presumptions should be retained or discarded. Details: Bellville, South Africa: The Child Justice Alliance, c/o The Children’s Rights Project, Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape), 2011. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 31, 2011 at: http://www.communitylawcentre.org.za/clc-projects/childrens-rights/other-publications/criminalcapacity_SA.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Age of Responsibility Shelf Number: 123184 |
Author: Snyman, Gina Title: Monitoring Immigration Detention in South Africa September 2010 Summary: LHR’s Detention Monitoring Programme has been monitoring the arrest, detention and deportation of foreign nationals at local detention centres, primarily the Lindela Holding Facility and the Musina Detention Centre (SMG), for the past decade. In certain instances, the organisation also intervenes in detentions occurring at police stations, prisons, or at the OR Tambo International Airport. The Detention Monitoring Programme operates mainly from LHR’s Johannesburg and Musina offices. LHR’s law clinics in Pretoria and Durban also assist asylum seekers who are detained at police stations or at the refugee reception offices (RROs). LHR is the only organisation that regularly visits Lindela and provides pro bono legal representation to detainees. Through these consultations, we are able to identify immigration trends and legal issues confronting detainees, as well as shifts in the policies of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the South African Police Services (SAPS). Our consultations with detainees also provide us with information about conditions at the facility and the treatment of detainees — an important window into the detention experience given the lack of any independent monitoring. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Lawyers for Human Rights, 2010. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 1, 2011 at: http://www.lhr.org.za/sites/lhr.org.za/files/LHR_2010_Detention_Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Illegal Aliens Shelf Number: 123207 |
Author: Burton, Patrick Title: Walking the Tightrope: Youth Resilience to Crime in South Africa Summary: Crime has been identified by the South African government as a priority issue in the country. Of particular concern for policy makers, the police and social crime prevention practitioners is the fact that young people constitute a considerable component of both victims and perpetrators of crime in South Africa. Children and young people comprise a major sector in the country’s population: the 2001 census indicated that approximately 26% of South Africa’s population is 24 years of age or younger. Research indicates that the ages between 12 and 21 are the peak years for both offending and victimisation. If we consider that the 12–21 year age groups are the most likely to be involved in crime, then it is clear that a large proportion of South Africa’s population falls within this ‘high risk’ age cohort. Indeed, the number of young people in South Africa indicates that they are likely to be disproportionately perpetrators and victims of crime. The cost to government and to society of not adequately addressing youth offending is significant and should be given the requisite attention. For young people, the distinction between being a perpetrator and a victim of crime is often blurred. Indeed, young offenders themselves are often exposed to high levels of victimisation and may live under significant adverse social and economic conditions. Youth offending is clearly a social problem; however, discussions around the issue most often concentrate merely on the fact itself and its scale, and tend to ignore the factors that determine the situation. Research indicates that a young person’s decision to commit or refrain from committing crime is based on a range of complex and intersecting social, personal and environmental factors. As such, youth crime prevention programmes need to find ways of addressing this multiplicity. The social and environmental causes of youth offending and resilience need to be identified and addressed if the issue is to be successfully challenged and reduced. It is important to recognise that the social and environmental situations, as well as the local contexts in which youth operate and develop, need to be considered when planning youth crime prevention and reduction strategies. Circumstances not only of young persons themselves (both offenders and non-offenders) but also of the lives of their families and the communities in which they live will be improved if the youth can be prevented from offending in the first place – or from re-offending if they have already started – and if a better understanding of both risk and resilience factors that lead to youth involvement in, or deterrence from, criminal activity is acquired. In an attempt to bridge the gap in research identified above, the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP) embarked on a research study in 2006. On the whole, the study was intended to yield a more thorough understanding of the resilience factors among young people in the South African context. To do this, the correlates underpinning youth criminality were explored while simultaneously examining the factors that strengthen resilience to crime among the youth. The study juxtaposed two sets of samples, namely: an offender sample (comprising young offenders, their parents/primary caregivers and siblings); and a nonoffender sample (comprising young non-offenders, their parents/primary caregivers and siblings). It was presumed that young people who choose not to commit crime are best suited to provide information on the factors that discourage youth criminal behaviour. In both samples each respondent’s life history, community context, family and peer networks, access to resources and services, level of education, life opportunities and employment possibilities were explored. The objectives of the study were threefold, namely: to identify factors of resilience to crime and violence among young people in order to better design interventions aimed at enhancing resilience and to inform policy initiatives addressing crime and safety; to identify the most influential risk factors for crime and violence within the South African context; and to prioritise these factors based on advanced analysis between the offender and non-offender populations. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2009. 140p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph Series, No. 7: Accessed November 11, 2011 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/tightrope-final.pdf Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Delinquency Prevention Shelf Number: 123308 |
Author: Leoschut, Lezanna Title: Running Nowhere Fast: Results of the 2008 National Youth Lifestyle Study Summary: The Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP) embarked on a National Youth Victimisation Study (NYVS) in 2005, which involved interviewing 4,409 young people between the ages of 12 and 22 years recruited from all nine provinces of South Africa. The study provided compelling evidence to suggest that young people in South Africa are disproportionately at risk of falling prey to crime compared to their adult counterparts. Since the initial study was intended to provide baseline data on the nature and extent of youth victimisation, the CJCP conducted a second sweep of the study in 2008. For the most part, the National Youth Lifestyle Study (NYLS) was an exact replica of the 2005 study except for two additional components to the questionnaire. A total of 4,391 young people in the specified age bracket responded to a survey questionnaire which explored, among other things, the nature and extent of crimes they may have experienced ever and in the past 12 months, their exposure to violence in different social contexts, self-reported offending and their engagement in risky behaviours – with the latter phenomenon having only received attention domestically in recent years. On the whole, the 2008 NYLS once again highlighted the plight of many children and youths in South Africa. The high incidence of violence exposure both in their family homes and in the communities in which they live suggests that violence is a characteristic feature of the social spaces that young people in South Africa occupy. With significant proportions of youths having ever witnessed other people (including members of their own family) being involved in physical fights either as victims or perpetrators, it is not surprising to find that young people grow up perceiving violence as a socially appropriate means of interacting with others and resolving interpersonal conflict. The high levels of violence exposure also increase young people’s vulnerability to direct victimisation. One in four youths interviewed had reportedly fallen prey to crime in the 12-month period between February 2007 and February 2008. Although the overall youth victimisation rates have decreased since 2005, young people are still being victimised at rates higher than that experienced by their adult counterparts, with the rates for violent crimes such as assault and robbery being more than double the rates observed among adults. The high incidence of assault among the youth could be attributed in part to the prevalence of corporal punishment which continues to be employed as a means of effecting discipline within South African schools and homes. These findings once again point to the lack of safe and violence-free spaces that young people have, and highlight the need for the creation of such spaces – and in particular safe and violence-free school contexts since quality learning cannot take place in an environment that elicits feelings of fear and apprehension. Also evident from the findings was the close proximity to which youths in this country live to criminal offenders. One in six youths had family members who had ever been incarcerated, while just less than a tenth of the youth sample reported having adult family members who in the year preceding the study had done things that could have gotten them in trouble with the police – factors that not only increase youths’ vulnerability to victimisation but also heighten their susceptibility to perpetrating criminal behaviours themselves. There is therefore a need for diversion programmes to be more readily available to young people at risk of perpetrating violence and other crimes. In addition to the social conditions described above that increase young people’s susceptibility to victimisation, youths were also found to engage voluntarily in activities that could potentially put them at risk of falling prey to victimisation. Substance abuse was widespread – with alcohol being the primary substance of abuse, followed by tobacco use and marijuana. These risk behaviours are not only known to be detrimental to young people’s health and well-being but were also found to be associated with their vulnerability to criminal victimisation. That is, data emerging from this study shows that young people who had ever consumed alcohol or used illicit drugs were significantly more likely than those who had never used any of these substances to have ever been the victim of any crime. What becomes apparent, therefore, is the need to reduce young people’s involvement in risky behaviour. Of particular concern is the early age at which young people initiate substance use and their personal reasons for maintaining these health-compromising habits. More specifically, the use of substances to relieve stress and the influence of friends on young people’s use of addictive substances became evident in this study. These findings point to the need for further investigation into the stressors that young people face in their daily lives. In addition, programmes aimed at educating young people about positive coping and stress management skills are imperative in the cessation of risky behaviour. Given the significant influence that friends have on young people’s behaviour, peers could play an instrumental role in this process through peer education programmes. Furthermore, an individual’s decision to engage or stop engaging in a particular behaviour is largely influenced by his/her perceptions of the specific behaviour. Although young people in this study recognise the harmful effects of substance use on their health, many perceive the behaviour to be beneficial to them in some way, including calming their nerves, helping them to relax and helping them to forget their troubles. Thus efforts aimed at reducing substance use and abuse among young people should also include components that address youths’ perceptions of these activities and educate them about alternative ways in which to calm their nerves, relax and resolve their problems. Young people also frequently engage in risky sexual behaviour, evident by the percentage of youths who had initiated sex prior to the age of 15 years, who had four or more sexual partners in their lifetime, who had ever consumed alcohol or other drugs prior to sexual activity, who had used condoms inconsistently and who had ever experienced a pregnancy. These findings point to the need for early interventions to raise awareness among children and youths about safe sexual practices, the importance of initiating sexual intercourse at a later age, and to provide them, particularly females, with the skills to enable them to negotiate safe sex practices within their intimate relationships. Although attempts have been made both at schools and via the media to educate young South Africans about the dangers of risky sexual behaviour, it seems that young people might still not know enough about this topic. Particularly pertinent is the finding that young people countrywide lack confidence in their futures and in their ability to achieve the goals and objectives they have set for themselves. What is needed, then, are programmes aimed at empowering the youth and increasing their sense of self-efficacy. An increased sense of self-efficacy and control over their future would result in youths making more positive choices about the activities and behaviours they engage in. Special attention should be paid to male children and youths given their propensity (as evidenced in this study) to engage in violent and other risk-taking behaviour. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2009. 152p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph Series No. 6: Accessed November 11, 2011 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/NYLS-final.pdf Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crimes Against Juveniles Shelf Number: 123309 |
Author: Chetty, Kasturi Title: Child Sex Tourism in South African Law Summary: Child sex tourism is tourism organised with the primary purpose of facilitating a commercial sexual relationship with a child. It involves a segment of the local child sex industry that is directly connected to both an international and domestic tourist market. The increase of tourism has brought with it complications in that tourism is being used as a means for sex tourists to initiate contact with children. Aside from child sex tourists who are paedophiles, there are those who engage in the opportunistic exploitation of children while travelling on business or for other reasons. There are a number of social and economic factors leading to child sex tourism and the effect is that child victims are exposed to immediate harm, irreversible damage and even death. As South Africa's tourism industry expands into one of the country’s top earners of foreign currency, it is unfortunate to note that its child sex tourist trade is also on the increase. Reports show that sex tours are as easily organised as wine route tours in Cape Town. Commercial sexual exploitation of children is prevalent in South Africa and has become more organised in recent years. A comprehensive response to the problem is essential to ensure that South Africa does not become a “safe haven” for child sex tourists. Effective laws at home and the extraterritorial application of these laws to prosecute South African nationals for crimes committed abroad are imperative. Significant steps are being taken both nationally and internationally to target child sex tourism. South Africa has ratified several international instruments on children’s rights, trafficking in persons, child labour, and discrimination against women and young girls, all of which relate to child sex tourism. In doing so, South Africa has made an international commitment to uphold the provisions of these instruments and give effect to them. South Africa is therefore under an international obligation to create the necessary structures and apply mechanisms and resources to combat child sex tourism. South Africa does not have legislation that specifically prohibits child sex tourism at present. The Sexual Offences Act and common law, however, cover a wide range of offences relating to sexual intercourse and sexually indecent acts as well as the various facets of prostitution such as solicitation, procurement of females as prostitutes and brothel-keeping. Although these legal measures are in many respects commendable there are still too many loopholes. There are situations that are not adequately provided for and others that are not provided for at all. It is expected that the new Sexual Offences Bill containing specific provisions on child sex tourism couched in gender-neutral terms which apply extraterritorially, will go a long way to improving the present system for child victims. The issue of child protection is covered by South Africa’s Constitution as well the provisions of the Child Care Act and Domestic Violence Act. These legal measures ensure that the direct involvement in the commercial exploitation of children is prohibited, the conduct of parents who ill-treat or allow their child to be ill-treated is covered and the abduction or removal of a child is an offence. Despite these positive aspects, there is nevertheless room for improvement. The legislative provisions of the Children’s Act, which has been assented to by the President but not yet promulgated, comprehensively address the problem areas. Once enforced the Children’s Act will go a long way in improving the present system of child protection by holistically addressing the needs of children in respect of prevention of abuse as well as their care and protection. Other pieces of legislation which apply to child sex tourism are the Prevention of Organised Crime Act; Immigration Act; Basic Conditions of Employment Act; Films and Publications Act and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act. They allow for the prosecution of sex exploiters and traffickers for offences related to child sex tourism, child prostitution, child pornography and various other forms of sexual exploitation of children. Overall the impact of these miscellaneous pieces of legislation on child sex tourism is praiseworthy. However, they bring to light the fact that there are numerous statutes, each dealing with one aspect of child sex tourism as opposed to a single comprehensive statute to refer to in handling such cases. Therefore there is still room for improvement in this regard. Details: Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2007. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2011 at: https://www.nmmu.ac.za/documents/theses/KChetty.pdf Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Prostitution Shelf Number: 123319 |
Author: Petrus, Theodore Stephen Title: An Anthropological Study of Witchcraft-Related Crime in the Eastern Cape and Its Implications for Law Enforcement Policy and Practice Summary: This research sought to investigate the phenomenon of witchcraft-related crime in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and its implications for law enforcement policy and practice. The primary motivation for a study such as this emerged from the need to address the lack of academic knowledge about witchcraft-related crime, especially in the Eastern Cape. The study is anthropological in focus, and is thus based on anthropological techniques of data gathering. Specifically, a literature study and fieldwork (semi-structured interviews and case studies) formed the basis of the research methodology employed. The geographical focus of the study was the northeastern part of the former Transkei, an area commonly referred to as Pondoland. Interview data were obtained from two categories of informants, namely community informants and informants of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Various towns and their surrounding villages were visited during fieldwork in order to gather data through interviews. Witchcraft continues to play an integral role in the cultural interpretation of misfortune, illness and untimely or mysterious death, particularly among local Xhosa-speaking communities that are predominantly rural. Beliefs associated with witchcraft were widespread in the study area and this was linked to high frequencies of witchcraft accusations and witchcraft-related violence. Police investigations of witchcraft-related cases were, for the most part, evaluated negatively by the majority of local community informants, while the SAPS informants indicated mixed responses as to the success of their investigations of these cases. The high frequency of unreported cases suggested that witchcraft-related crime is a problem in the Eastern Cape and that the local police were struggling to deal with these cases. The traditional leadership in various communities also struggled with the problem of an ambiguity in their role regarding witchcraft cases. Traditional leaders not only had jurisdictional limitations, but also indirectly seemed to encourage witchcraft-related violence by punishing those who accused others of witchcraft. In general, the relationship between communities, traditional leaders and the police were strained by witchcraft-related cases. In addition to providing much needed data on the topic under study, this research also aimed to provide meaningful recommendations and suggestions based on the data gathered during the study. This study is by no means conclusive as there is still much scope for further research, not only anthropological research but also, more importantly, interdisciplinary research. The issue of witchcraft-related crime is one that requires a holistic approach to address and involves a number of stakeholders who should make a contribution to further study of this topic. The essential point is that, as far as the Eastern Cape Province is concerned, witchcraft-related crime must be taken seriously enough to invest in further research so that violence reaching crisis levels could be avoided. Details: Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2009. 277p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 26, 2011 at: http://www.nmmu.ac.za/documents/theses/THEODORE%20STEPHEN%20PETRUS.pdf Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cults Shelf Number: 123457 |
Author: Nkosi, Zaba Philip Title: An Evaluation of South Africa's Legislation to Combat Organised Crime Summary: The objective of this research is to evaluate existing South African laws intended to deal with organised crime with relevant international instruments in order to establish whether the laws are adequate and are being implemented effectively to fight the scourge. The hypothesis of this research project is that South Africa has adequate laws (compliance); however, the problem lies in their implementation (enforcement). To obtain the necessary information to achieve the said objectives, the views made by various writers on organised crime were considered. The legislation currently in place to combat organised crime was identified and measured against aforementioned instruments in order to establish whether they do achieve the minimum standards set for the fight against organised crime. The comparison was done following the perspectives contained in these instruments in chapter form. In this regard, over-achievements as well as under-achievements were highlighted. For an example, article 6 of the Palermo convention instructs state parties to include as predicate offences all serious crime, punishable by maximum deprivation of liberty of at least 4 years or more, for money laundering. The Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), on the other hand, contains no list of specific predicate offences, but makes an open-ended reference to the "proceeds of unlawful activities." It is, therefore, all-encompassing. Another example can be found in the South African definition of corruption. The South African statutory definition penalises corruption in the widest sense and in all its forms, whereas that in the Palermo Convention is limited or restricted, as it does not instruct for the criminalisation of corruption involving foreign public officials or international civil servants. The evaluation of existing South African laws shows that South Africa has adequate laws to fight organised crime. There is, however, a room for improvement in their implementation, particularly in the prosecution of organised crimes. The South African government is urged to make available adequate financial resources to enable prosecutors to carry out their functions effectively in the fight against the scourge. Details: Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2011. 90p. Source: Thesis. Internet Resource: Accessed on January 22, 2012 at http://www.nmmu.ac.za/documents/theses/ZABA%20%20PHILIP%20%20NKOSI.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Law and Legislation Shelf Number: 123727 |
Author: Nath, Dipika Title: “We’ll Show You You’re a Woman”: Violence and Discrimination against Black Lesbians and Transgender Men in South Africa Summary: Social prejudice against lesbians, gay men, and transgender people is prevalent in South Africa even as the country has progressive laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Lesbians, bisexual women, transgender men, and other gender non-conforming people in South Africa are subject to widespread discrimination, harassment, and violence. They are regularly thrown out of home; ridiculed and abused at school; harassed and insulted on the streets, in church, and at work; and threatened by neighbors and strangers. The abuse may be verbal, physical, or sexual—and may even result in murder. “We’ll Show You You’re a Woman” documents the violence and abuse faced by working-class South African black lesbians, transgender men, and gender non-conforming people, detailing the everyday climate of fear and impunity within which they must attempt to negotiate their safety. It identifies specific factors that enhance their vulnerability but also places the violence against them in broader context, including the country’s alarming rates of gender-based violence. South Africa already has in place many laws and policies to address sexual violence and discrimination; what is sorely lacking is effective implementation of those provisions. The report concludes with recommendations to specific ministries and departments of the South African government aimed at better safeguarding the rights and safety of lesbians and transgender men. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2011. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 26, 2012 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/southafrica1211.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bias-Motivated Crimes Shelf Number: 123762 |
Author: Faull, Andrew Title: Oversight agencies in South Africa and the challenge of police corruption Summary: During the first quarter of 2011 there were a number of high-profile police scandals. These included the Public Protector’s findings that the South African Police Service’s top management interfered in a R500 million tender process; indications that Crime Intelligence officials acted improperly to hamper a Hawks investigation into Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir; allegations of abuse and murder against the head of Crime Intelligence and members of Tactical Response Teams; evidence of increases in fatal shootings by police, police torture, and greater pay-outs for civil claims against police. This does not bode well for an organisation struggling to contest an image of widespread corruption, most powerfully symbolised by the conviction of former National Commissioner Jackie Selebi in 2010. Fortunately South Africa has several institutions responsible for holding the police to account. The questions that need to be answered are: How effective are these institutions? And how might they play a more meaningful role in reducing police corruption and promoting police professionalism in South Africa? When the interim constitution was passed in 1993 it sought to promote the establishment of a police service that would break with the unaccountable, often abusive policing of the apartheid era. Oversight of the police was made a priority in the transformation period. The apartheid-era South African Police (SAP) force had at times been ruthless in its dealings with citizens, employing both torture and gratuitous violence in the course of its often politically driven work. No longer a police ‘force’, the new ‘service’ was to be transparent and accountable. The result in subsequent years was that, in addition to the merging and internal reformation of the SAP and ten homeland police agencies, emphasis was placed on the establishment of oversight infrastructure. With all eyes focused on police reformation and the development of external oversight, the SAPS regressed in terms of internal systems of command and control. While it is no longer perceived as overly political or brutal, the police service has developed a reputation of unprofessionalism, corruption and criminality, a reputation that has damaged citizen trust in the police. Similarly, as fear about crime escalated in the late nineties, emphasis on police oversight declined. Although it is ultimately the responsibility of the SAPS to ensure the professionalism and integrity of its members, oversight bodies have an important role to play in making sure the SAPS takes action to bring this about. While South Africa has a thriving civil society sector, which includes organisations engaged with issues relating to the police, its expertise and research findings often fail to hold the attention of government bodies. As such, its potential to offer advice is not often taken advantage of by government. This paper outlines the challenge of tackling corruption in the SAPS. It then sketches the history and structure of three of South Africa’s main police oversight bodies: parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, the Secretariat for police, and the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), and asks how these structures have dealt with corruption in the SAPS in recent years, offering suggestions for future engagement. The paper also seeks to identify possible areas in which civil society can better support the structures in their work. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2011. 20p. Source: ISS Paper 227. Internet Resource Accessed on January 26, 2012 at http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/Paper227.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Behavior Shelf Number: 123775 |
Author: Social Development, Republic of South Africa Title: Integrated Social Crime Prevention Strategy Summary: Preventing crime has been a priority for all government departments and culminated in the launching of the NCPS in 1996. The NCPS emphasises the prevention of crime, rather than entirely relying on the criminal justice process to arrest and convict offenders. It is also based on the idea that the South African Police Service (SAPS) alone cannot reduce crime. Communities, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and the respective government departments are equally responsible for reducing crime. The NCPS has laid a foundation that provides regulations to various relevant departments to develop strategies that are aligned to existing approaches so as to avoid duplication of services. In dealing with crime, more emphasis is placed on an inter-sectoral and comprehensive approach. The NCPS also provides guidance to individual stakeholders on different programmes, as it is the result of an extensive process of research and analysis, and has drawn on international experiences. The role and responsibilities of government departments is, however to deal with difficult conditions facing children, youth, men and women, specifically those that relate to criminal activity. Concerted efforts need to be directed at addressing the underlying causes of delinquency, violence and crime, rather than reacting to symptoms and emergency needs. The provision of services, such as basic education, healthcare, job opportunities and recreation in rural and urban areas will contribute to children’s early growth, development, functioning and progress in society. There is, therefore, a dire need to provide integrated and coordinated programmes through the guidance of the Integrated Social Crime Prevention Strategy. The rationale for developing and implementing the Integrated Social Crime Prevention Strategy is to enable the government departments to respond to crime-related issues in a coordinated and focused manner, specifically looking at issues causing crime. The strategy will also promote joint efforts for creating a common understanding and vision on how to combat crime, bringing together concerted interventions within government departments as crucial initiatives for social crime prevention. Details: South Africa: Social Development Department, 2011. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 29, 2012 at http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=156928 Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention (South Africa) Shelf Number: 123867 |
Author: Leoschut, Lezanne Title: The influence of family and community violence exposure on the victimisation rates of South African youth Summary: Crime and violence is pervasive in South African society and is perceived by the general populace as one of the primary challenges facing our country. Young people, and particularly those between the ages of 12 and 22 years, are commonly at the receiving end of this escalating violence. Given the alarmingly high rates of youth victimisation, this paper attempts to shed light on one of the correlates influencing this phenomenon by exploring the relationship between violence exposure in two social locales – the family and community – and criminal victimisation. To this end, this paper draws on the research findings of the first National Youth Victimisation Study conducted in 2005 by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention. In short, this paper demonstrates that violence exposure in the social environments in which young people live increases their vulnerability to subsequent criminal victimisation. For this reason, one can conclude that an important method by which to reduce youth involvement in crime both as victims and perpetrators would be to limit their exposure to violence in both their homes and communities. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2006. 12p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 3: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue_Paper_3.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 123934 |
Author: Bonora, Angela Title: Post-conflict crime prevention and justice reform Summary: The paper explores key issues concerning crime prevention and transitional justice in post-conflict societies. The need exists to develop innovative ways, within post-conflict environments, of addressing the causes and correlates of crime while rebuilding the policing and justice structures. In order to promote crime prevention, sustainable peace and conflict resolution in post-conflict settings, collaborative and integrated sector reform – both institutional and public/social – is required. This paper therefore highlights the importance of a more consolidated, integrated approach to crime prevention and reconciliation; one that expands on and moves beyond mere security sector reform initiatives, and which places greater emphasis on public sector reform and social service delivery in post-conflict settings – only in this way can functional and sustainable crime prevention and reconciliation measures be implemented. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2006. 8p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 2: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 123935 |
Author: Burton, Patrick Title: Dealing with school violence in South Africa Summary: Violence in South African schools has become a matter of much concern for both government and the South African public. Building on the findings of the CJCP National Schools Violence Study, this paper locates the violence at schools within a broader context, looking at the role of the Department of Education as well as other key role-players. The paper advocates for a ‘whole school’ approach to school safety, while addressing external factors through an integrated and coherent strategy involving the Education, Social Development, Local Government and Community Safety departments. While a number of interventions can address the short-term manifestation of violence in schools, a more fundamental longer-term paradigm shift needs to occur within society in general to deal adequately with the issue, and a number of possible steps towards this shift are recommended. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2008. 16p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 4: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue%20Paper%204-final.pdf Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Survey Shelf Number: 123936 |
Author: Khan, Faeza Title: Building School Safety: The Hlayiseka Project - A Whole School Approach Summary: The school is a very powerful institution of socialisation, and the levels of violence currently threatening the wellbeing and development of learners at school are cause for great concern. The CJCP has recently conducted a National Schools Violence Study, which outlines the extent and nature of violence at schools. This paper discusses an intervention developed in partnership with the National Department of Education, which aims at providing schools with a toolkit for addressing school violence. The toolkit provides a school with practical guidelines that will assist it to: identify and respond to security issues and threats; establish reporting systems; monitor safety over time; and integrate existing departmental policy and legislation to ensure school safety. The intervention provides long-term sustainable management that will not only ensure school safety but will transform schools into caring spaces where learners can learn and educators can teach. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2008. 8p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 6: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue%20paper%206-final.PDF Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Victims Shelf Number: 123937 |
Author: Badenhorst, Charmain Title: Legal responses to cyber bullying and sexting in South Africa Summary: Very little is known about the true extent of cyber bullying and sexting in South Africa – two relatively new phenomena. The occurrence of cyber bullying and sexting has increased along with increased access to and usage of electronic communication technology. Both adults and children are therefore at risk of participating in or being exposed to these practices. It is important to examine the legal responses to cyber bullying and sexting in the South African context since some of these acts may result in the commission of criminal offences or lead to civil actions. This paper explores cyber bullying and sexting in South Africa and focuses on the responses within the context of existing legislative frameworks and legal remedies available in South Africa. It also identifies some of the gaps and risks in the legal responses applicable to children who engage in cyber bullying and sexting, and offers some recommendations in an attempt to minimise the gaps and accompanying risks to children. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2011. 20p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 10: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue%20Paper%2010-1.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bullying, Cyber (South Africa) Shelf Number: 123941 |
Author: Burton, Patrick Title: Inescapable violence: Cyber bullying and electronic violence against young people in South Africa Summary: The rapid development of social networking sites, mobile social networking platforms, such as MXIT, and indeed the widespread access to mobile telephony itself has provided a powerful space for young people to engage in public life. But these media have also increased the opportunities for online or ‘cyber’ victimisation, bullying and aggression. This is evident in the reports of, for example, hate lists on websites, incidents of ‘happy slapping’ and the phone-videoing and distribution of schoolyard fights and assaults. Internet and mobile technologies increase anonymity and provide some level of disassociation with acts of aggression, making aggression and bullying much easier through these media. And yet very little empirical research has been done in South Africa on the extent and nature of these forms of cyber aggression. This paper presents the initial findings of a 2009 CJCP research study undertaken in four South African cities, in which 1,726 young people participated and spoke about their experiences of aggression. The paper explores the prevalence of various forms of cyber aggression, as well as other characteristics and relationships, not least of which is the strong relationship between victims and perpetrators of online aggression. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice adn Crime Prevention, 2009. 12p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 8: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue%20Paper%208%20-%20Inescapable%20Violence%20-%20Cyber%20aggression.pdf Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cyberbullying (South Africa) Juvenile Victims Shelf Number: 123942 |
Author: Leoschut, Lezanne Title: School violence: What makes learners vulnerable? Summary: It is the intention of this paper to highlight the contextual factors that heighten the vulnerability of children and youths to violence within schools. To do this, focus is shifted away from actual victimisation and towards the broader social environments surrounding the schools, which influence the learners’ vulnerability to having violence perpetrated against them within the school setting. An awareness of these correlates is of paramount importance since effective intervention strategies are reliant on the comprehensive understanding of why young people fall prey to such experiences in the first place. Given the diverse risk factors, the paper concludes that any attempt to address school violence should extend beyond the Department of Education to include important role-players such as the pupils themselves, their parents, community members, the South African Police Service and other government departments. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2008. 12p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 7: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue%20Paper%207.pdf Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Victimization Shelf Number: 123943 |
Author: Omar, Bilkis Title: Enforcement or development? Positioning government's National Crime Prevention Strategy Summary: After falling from favour under Mbeki’s government, the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) is being reinvigorated under the new Minister of Police. The institution tasked with reviving the NCPS is the Secretariat of Safety and Security or the Secretariat of Police as it has been renamed – the body responsible for civilian oversight over the South African Police Service. The secretariat too has seen its fortunes wane over the past decade, but is undergoing a turnaround with the appointment of a new secretary, new legislation and institutional reform. This paper asks two questions: what will prevent the NCPS from suffering the same fate as before; and is the Secretariat of Police the most suitable home for the NCPS or should it be located elsewhere? The paper argues that the NCPS can be revived to great effect, but only if it is located elsewhere within government. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2010. 16p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 9: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue%20Paper%209-final.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention (South Africa) Shelf Number: 123944 |
Author: Jantjies, Janine Title: Gender dynamics and girls' perceptions of crime and violence Summary: This paper outlines the preliminary findings of a research study conducted by the CJCP, which focuses on female perceptions of, and possible complicity in, male criminal activity. The findings suggest that females subscribe to traditional gender views and expect males to be the provider and protector in relationships, a central feature of hegemonic (or ideal) masculinity. A previous study conducted by the CJCP on males found that there was a major focus on acquiring material goods. The current study found that females also place great value on material possessions and view these as a symbol of love and affection in a relationship. This expectation can pressure males in economically deprived communities to acquire goods in illegitimate ways, just to ensure that their girlfriends do not leave them. This paper explores females’ expectations and perceptions of male roles and discusses how these beliefs shape romantic encounters among adolescents in South Africa. The traditional gender views and values held by many girls in the study indicate that the socialisation of children and youth in South Africa can impact on the country’s crime situation. A monograph will be published soon, which discusses the findings in more detail. Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2011. 12p. Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 11: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue%20Paper%2011-3.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gender Shelf Number: 123945 |
Author: Haffejee, Sadiyya Title: Minority Report: the imprisonment of women and girls in Gauteng Summary: Marginal in number, female prisoners in South Africa are also invisible in research and public discussion around imprisonment, except perhaps as the mothers of "babies behind bars" (and arguably it is the baby who is of greater public interest), or as women who have killed abusive partners. This research brief makes Gauteng’s women prisoners its focus, describing who they are and setting out findings about the conditions and circumstances of their imprisonment. It emphasises three aspects of imprisonment that particularly concerned the women we interviewed: contact with children and family; health and wellbeing; and opportunities for further education and reintegration into society. Details: Braamfontein, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2006. 4p. Source: CSVR Gender Programme, Research Brief No. 04: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2012 at http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/correctional/minorityreport.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Female Inmates Shelf Number: 123962 |
Author: Faull, Andrew Title: Police Officials’ Perceptions of Corruption and Integrity Management at three Gauteng SAPS Stations in 2009 Summary: When asked in 2009 to qualify his perception that corruption was a serious problem pervading the South African Police Service (SAPS), a captain replied, ‘You read about it every day.’ His belief that corruption exists on a large scale throughout the organisation in which he has based his career was shared by 66 of the 77 respondents interviewed for this paper. Are these perceptions fair? What do they suggest about how members perceive the integrity of their colleagues and organisation? What impact do they have on organisational morale? What are the forces shaping these perceptions and what is being done to improve matters? This paper explores and compares the manner in which corruption, fraud and integrity management manifested within SAPS stations in 2009. It examines employee perceptions of police corruption and the causal factors that may influence the prevalence or control of corruption and integrity violations. The research was conducted at three Gauteng priority stations during the first six months of 2009 at a time when the SAPS was finalising and attempting to implement the Corruption and Fraud Prevention Plan (CFPP). Launched late in 2008, the CFPP was the first organisation-wide corruption prevention strategy developed since the closure of the Anti-Corruption Unit in 2002. It has since developed into what is called the Anti-Corruption Strategy to be launched in December 2011; post-2009 developments, however, are not discussed in this paper. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute of Security Studies, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 228: Accessed February 6, 2012 at: http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e-2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&ord582=grp2&id=136169 Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Corruption (South Africa) Shelf Number: 123999 |
Author: Hamman, Melanie Title: A Tangled Web: Human Trafficking, Child Protection, and the Media Summary: This report examines South African media coverage of human trafficking during the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup. The monitoring period included the month during the World Cup and the month immediately after (11/06/2010 – 06/08/2010). A total of 3009 newspaper stories and broadcast items were monitored of which 60 (1.99%) were human trafficking related items - which form the basis of this report. As the final component of a broader multifaceted project “Child Protection and Human Trafficking: Is the Media Telling the Right(s) Story”, MMA has begun the development of a best practice methodology for reporting on human trafficking with a specific focus on child protection. Findings show that media coverage of human trafficking during the monitoring period can be distinguished into the period during the World Cup and the period immediately after by the kinds of stories reported. During the World Cup media failed in numerous stories to identify human trafficking where it was in fact found, and these items were classified as Missed Opportunities because of this. In other regards, during the World Cup there was a predominance of stories pertaining to education, awareness and protection, whereas after the World Cup, this is where we see greater reporting on actual occurrences or incidents of human trafficking. This report will elaborate on methods used to analyse the media and findings and additionally provide insight into the issues themselves. Details: Johannesburg: Media Monitoring Africa, 2011. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2012 at http://www.mediamonitoringafrica.org/images/uploads/ATangledWeb_WebPDF_.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Protection (South Africa) Shelf Number: 124407 |
Author: Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) Title: Protecting Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Immigrants in South Africa during 2010 Summary: The movement of people into, within and through South Africa raises fundamental questions about the country’s commitments to human rights, regional integration, security, and economic development. Where it was once a side issue occupying minor corners of government and civil society, a combination of domestic debates and global trends has put the country’s response to migrants at the heart of South Africa’s policy agenda. In the coming year, the government will debate amendments to the Immigration Act and has committed to continue efforts to regularise migrants from across Southern Africa who have been living and working in the country. Elsewhere, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) will begin enlisting municipal authorities in a campaign to plan for and protect refugees along with domestic and international migrants. The Department of Health (DoH) has recognised the need to build systems that promote people’s access to basic health services regardless of their migration status. The innovative ‘Protection Working Group’ – a body bringing together the police, line ministries, civil society and international agencies – has done impressive collaborative work to combat xenophobic violence and continues to identify hotspots and pre‐emptively respond to threats of xenophobic violence. CoRMSA has played a central part in putting these issues on the agenda, and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that they are effectively addressed. Despite positive developments and an opening of space for discussion with local and national government representatives, there is much work to do. In early 2011, a United Nations delegation called on South Africa to “improve social cohesion and measures against discrimination, exploitation, a tendency by the police to ignore the rights of migrants, and the overall lack of a comprehensive immigration policy that incorporates human rights protection.”1 Statements by the Minister of Home Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini‐Zuma, suggest that there is ambivalence, even at the highest levels, about the protection of migrants and refugees in South Africa.2 Part of this uncertainty stems from the fallacy that migrants’ interests run counter to positive economic and political transformation. Moreover, many continue to feel that South Africa cannot effectively combat xenophobia until we have banished inequalities and racism within the citizenry. CoRMSA takes the position that efforts to build a system of policies and laws that protect migrants and refugees cannot be separated from the objective of building a just and transformed South Africa. South Africa remains part of the larger region of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and cannot close its borders. Nor should it. Not only is South Africa obliged by international law to protect refugees and asylum seekers, but the movement of people within the region helps to foster prosperity and human security. Similarly, efforts to arrest, detain, or inhibit the migrants’ economic activities within the country only hinder investment, job creation, and social cohesion. To be sure, some South Africans lose out when foreigners move in. But all evidence suggests that migrants’ skills, entrepreneurship and investment helps South African business and creates jobs for locals. Continued myth‐making and scapegoating will only take us backward. By accepting that migrants and refugees are part of the country’s population, we can develop pragmatic policing, urban development, and health policies. South Africa’s inability to come to terms with Zimbabwean migration continues to tarnish the country’s reputation and reveals more fundamental questions about the commitment to protect non‐nationals within its borders. While marketed as a generous offer to help Zimbabweans secure legal status in South Africa, 2010’s ‘regularisation’ process was characterised by bureaucratic ineptitude and dissimulation. The result was that approximately 10% of the Zimbabweans in the country have obtained some kind of durable legal status. The remaining 1 million or more have been left in limbo, uncertain whether they will be arrested, deported, or simply left to find their way through the overwhelmed asylum system. This scenario suggests that the South African government’s approach to migration is Janus‐faced: offering a friendly, embracing vision to the world while in reality shutting out the non‐nationals crossing its borders or living within them. While there is reason for considerable disquiet, the possibility of extending similar amnesties to other SADC nationals hints at a gradual recognition of the need to build a regional migration framework. This report provides a summary of some of the most significant developments affecting the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants in South Africa. The point is not to suggest that migrant rights should take priority over those of citizens: protection of those who move will only be achieved through strengthening the broader systems of administrative and criminal justice that serve all who live in South Africa, and improvements in the quality of care and services provided to the country’s poor and marginalised populations. For those concerned with the rights and welfare of non‐nationals in South Africa, this document provides the best available data and analysis. For others, it offers a snapshot of South Africa’s strengths and weaknesses in protecting one among many vulnerable populations. This year’s report focuses on key elements of refugee and migrant rights protection in South Africa. Based on extensive research by CoRMSA and its partners, each section offers a series of recommendations to promote positive and pragmatic reforms. The points below provide a summary of the report’s primary findings and recommendations. Details: Johannesburg: Consortium for Refugees adn Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA), 2011. 140p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2012 at http://www.cormsa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/CoRMSA-Report-20111.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Asylum (South Africa) Shelf Number: 124555 |
Author: Richter, Marlise Title: "Maybe it will be better once this World Cup has passed": Research findings regarding the impact of the 2010 Soccer World Cup on Sex Work in South Africa Summary: International sporting events are increasing in frequency and magnitude. It is estimated that the FIFA World Cup brought close to 400 000 visitors to South Africa in 2010. Little research has been conducted into the demand and supply of paid sex during big sporting events and where the topic has been explored, the focus tends to fall on speculation around human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, rather than on adult, consensual sex work. This research project aimed to: Assess if there is a change in the demand for or supply of paid sex during an international sporting event; Track the number of clients and potential changes in sex work activity during the World Cup; Assess sex worker fears, expectations and experiences of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; and Gather information on sex worker mobility, frequency of health care visits, access to services, vulnerability to HIV, interactions with healthcare providers and interaction with police. The research project comprised of two components: a website component and a mixed-methods component. In the website component, we conducted a three-wave telephonic survey of female sex workers in the last weeks of May (pre-World Cup), June (during the World Cup) and July (post-World Cup) 2010. A sampling frame was constructed, by listing all sex worker profiles published on www.sextrader.co.za – a website with national coverage, containing over 1000 profiles of sex workers. Additionally, we listed sex worker profiles published in the adult section of the Classifieds in local newspapers in the greater Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town areas, through the website www.iol.co.za. In each wave, after discarding duplicate profiles, random number tables were used to select sex workers, who were then telephonically contacted until at least 220 respondents had accepted to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria were insufficient English language skills to understand or answer the questions, and being a male or transsexual sex worker. Participants were asked about their age; country of origin; current work area; number of clients in the past seven days; country of origin of their last client; and condom use with their last client. The mixed-methods component of the research project employed several research techniques and included the surveying of more than 2000 sex workers in Hillbrow, Sandton, Rustenburg and Cape Town. It tracked the changes in the sex industry over the period of May – September 2010 and explored sex worker experiences of the World Cup. It specifically investigated whether there were changes in the demand and supply of paid sex in these four research sites. A cadre of sex workers were trained as fieldworkers and ten fieldworkers per site were selected to conduct the research. Fieldworkers administered surveys to sex workers at three points in time – Phase 1: Pre-World Cup period; Phase 2: During the World Cup; and Phase 3: Post- World Cup period. In addition, between 10–20 sex workers each in Cape Town, Rustenburg and Hillbrow were invited to participate in Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and a “Diary Project” during the three points in time. Participants tracked their sex work transactions, number of clients, and interactions with the police and health care during the four-month period around the World Cup. Main Findings include the following: During the 2010 World Cup period, there was a small increase in the number of female sex workers who advertised online and in newspapers; Less non-South African sex workers advertised in newspapers and online than expected; There were not significantly more clients seen per sex worker during the World Cup period; A proportion of the local clients of sex workers who advertise in newspapers may have been temporarily replaced by foreign clients during the Soccer World Cup; Reported condom use was high, at 99%; Sex workers’ demographics did not change significantly during the World Cup period, indicating no major influx of young sex workers, for example. Demand and supply of sex work remained constant across the World Cup period. Our data also does not support fears about an increase of children or foreign migrant sex workers into the sex industry during the World Cup period; Health care contact with sex workers generally decreased during the World Cup period at a time where the increased resources presented an opportunity for health care expansion; Dedicated sex work-specific health care services and increased access to female condoms could address some of sex worker vulnerability to ill-health and HIV; Police contact with sex workers remained high and included police brutality, corruption and harassment. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: UNFPA SOuth Africa, 2010. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2012 at http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SWEAT%20report%20-%20low%20res%20(2).pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Prostitution Shelf Number: 124556 |
Author: Nebandla, Injobo Title: Confronting the Legacy of Weapons in Richmond, Kwazulu-Natal Summary: This investigation into the weapons recovery process in Richmond finds the tensions that fuelled the conflict between the ANC and IFP in the area during the 1990s still hold peacebuilding in the balance. Contemporary violence has to be understood within the area's history of armed conflict. A key aspect of the research has entailed understanding the extent to which weapons were distributed and played a role in the conflict as well as tracking what happened to these weapons. The report also focuses on the demobilisation and demilitarisation processes directly after 1994 and looks at reasons why these processes failed to disarm and demobilise the Richmond community. New antagonists have taken up arms since the easing of tension between the ANC and IFP. Conflict flared up again between factions within Self Defence Unit structures, and no-go areas were re-created as defections to the United Democratic Movement gave old hostilities a new banner. Domestic and criminal violence also perpetuate a climate of fear that is stoked by the ready availability of weapons. Imprisoned for their role in the conflict, ex-combatants held in Pietermaritzburg Prison have initiated a peace process in an attempt to bring sustainable peace to their communities at home. By interviewing these prisoners, as well as police and party representatives, the foundation for the successful implementation of a community weapons collection programme in Richmond have been laid. In addition, the researchers were able to draw on the experiences of a youth recovery initiative in KwaMashu and the Church weapons recovery programme in Mozambique. Details: Braamfontien, South Africa: The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2005. 62p. Source: Violence and Transition Project: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2012 at Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Guns and Violence (South Africa) Shelf Number: 124561 |
Author: Mashike, Lephophotho Title: Former Combatants' Involvement in Crime and Crime Prevention Summary: The African National Congress (ANC) suspended the armed struggle in August 1990 and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), its military wing was formally disbanded in 1993. Due to the peaceful nature of the transition, South Africa is rarely understood as a post-conflict country. Consequently, there has never been any serious attempt to identify or effectively address the wide range of needs of the different former combatants’ groups, especially former members of the guerrilla forces and paramilitary formations. In 2001, seven years into democracy, Rocky Williams a former MK combatant argued that the government lacked a strategy to help demobilised former guerrilla combatants come to terms with the harsh realities of a high unemployment rate and poverty. It took almost ten years for politicians to realise that without proper planning and adequate funding, there is the real possibility that former combatants would recommence fighting or resort to crime. It is thus important to understand the extent and nature of former combatants’ involvement in criminal activities; the motivations and means for criminality among former combatants; the initiatives that have been undertaken to address the problem of former combatants’ involvement in crime; and the extent and nature of former combatants’ involvement in crime prevention activities. Details: Braam, South Africa: The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2007. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2012 at http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/combatants261107.pdf Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Armed Conflict (South Africa) Shelf Number: 124562 |
Author: The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Republic of South Africa Title: Discussion document on the transformation of the judicial system and the role of the judiciary in the developmental South African State Summary: The Discussion Document on the transformation of the judicial system and the role of the Judiciary in a developmental South African state (the Document) highlights reforms that have taken place and an overview of the transformative initiatives currently underway within the justice environment. It recognises the critical role of the Judiciary as the third arm of the state and emphasises the importance of synergy between the three branches of the state in their common endeavour to realise the country’s goals of a developmental state, including the ideal of achieving a better life for all. The judiciary, through the exercise of its judicial authority, plays a critical role in achieving the goal of consolidating democracy and achieving the ideals of a democratic society. The Document gives a brief overview of the significant milestones that have been achieved in the transformation of the Judiciary and the court system since the onset of democracy. These include the changing racial and gender composition of the Judiciary, reformed appointment and governance arrangements, and aligning the process of laws and policies with the values and ethos of the Constitution. Despite the significant gains that have been made in the 17 years of democracy, there are still hurdles that continue to hamper the attainment of the ideals of an open and democratic society envisaged by the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and provides the basis for the transformation of the state and society. Its commitment to establish a non-racial, non-sexist, equal and prosperous society, founded on human rights, is revolutionary. Therefore, this Document seeks to reflect on the fundamental principles that guide the transformation of the judicial system and the Judiciary, within the broad context of social transformation. It articulates the constitutional vision of an equal society, based on social justice, and outlines certain approaches that are important for the consolidation and acceleration of the transformation of society for all people in South Africa to enjoy equal benefit and protection of the law. The Document commences by describing the concept of the transformation of the judicial system, and distinguishes between the transformation of the judicial system and the Judiciary. It explains and locates the role of the courts and the Judiciary at the centre of the transformation agenda of a developmental state, and highlights the national goals that are key to the transformation of the state and society. It further explains, among other things, the entrenchment and realisation of the democratic values that are enshrined in the Constitution, and the eradication of poverty as a priority of government. It places emphasis on, and highlights the necessity for the three branches of the state to act cooperatively to realise the transformative goals of the Constitution. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: The Department of Justice and Constitutional Deparment, 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://www.justice.gov.za/docs/other%20docs/20120228-transf-jud.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Administraion of Justice (South Africa) Shelf Number: 124569 |
Author: Treptow, Reinhold Title: The Aspirations and Life Goals of Youth Offenders at Lindelani Place of Safety Summary: Rising crime rates among the youth in South Africa is a major problem. In the Western Cape this concern is particularly urgent and is compounded by issues relating to gangsterism and drugs. This study analyses why youth offenders, based at Lindelani become involved in crime and how they subsequently see their future. The first part of the study reviews theories of crime and deviance, such as the classical school of criminology, psychological, biological and sociological explanations of crime. The usefulness of the criminological developmentalist approach toward identifying risk factors statistically correlated to the perpetration of crime is discussed. Common factors associated with crime in the South African context are identified including family, peers, gang, drug, school, media and neighbourhood related factors as well as the absence of spirituality. Thereafter the literature associated with the development of aspirations, life goals and the concept of possible selves is explained. The relationship between possible selves, aspirations and life goals are discussed and details regarding how possible selves influence delinquency are presented. Following the theoretical analysis, the problem of crime in South Africa with reference to the youths interviewed is outlined. The strategies pursued by government to combat crime are discussed and the effective potential of these approaches are evaluated. An overview of government’s policy toward youth in South Africa is given followed by specific reference to the issues surrounding youth and crime in the Western Cape, with explicit reference to the Cape Flats and gangs. This provides the background to the Lindelani case study. An overview of the operations and challenges facing Lindelani Place of Safety and the profile of offences typically committed by youth are given. Hereafter the findings are presented. The findings are divided into two sections; the first explores the life world of youth at Lindelani by discussing why youth in the Western Cape perpetrate crime and identifies factors that are associated with their involvement. The findings report on the influence of family and household structure, peers, neighbourhood environment, gangs, drugs, school, media, perceived aptitude of youth offenders, role models and spirituality. Section two presents the findings regarding the possible selves, life goals and aspirations of the youth. The general aspirations, possible selves, family aspirations, friendship, neighbourhood, spiritual, educational and occupational aspirations are explored. The study thereby presents the voices of these young offenders. Details: Stellenbosch, South Africa: Stellenbosch University, 2008. 101p. Source: Internet Resource: Master's Thesis: Accessed April 27, 2012 at: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/44139332_The_aspirations_and_life_goals_of_youth_offenders_at_Lindelani_Place_of_Safety Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Shelf Number: 125072 |
Author: Mulliken, Teresa A. Title: South Africa's Trade in African Grey Parrots Summary: South Africa has long been perceived as a major player in the international wild bird trade and, there have been allegations that the country serves as a base for smuggling operations involving native and protected species. Concerned with ongoing rumours of illegal trade, and recognising that little actual research on South Africa's bird trade had been conducted, TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa initiated a comprehensive study in mid-1993. Research was completed in early 1994, with the results of TRAFFIC's bird trade study to be made available in 1995. During its examination of the larger trade, TRAFFIC paid particular attention to those bird species imported to South Africa in the greatest numbers. African Grey Parrots, popular as cage-birds in Europe, North America and Asia as well as South Africa, topped the list. This report documents the scale of South Africa's trade in African Grey Parrots, analyses existing trade controls, captive breeding and domestic market dynamics, and provides recommendations on means to more effectively control the trade in the future. Recognising the government institutions and policy are currently undergoing profound transitions in South Africa, some of the information contained in this report may have changed since the research was conducted. In particular, it needs to be noted at the outset that South Africa comprised four provinces and 10 so-called homelands, four of which regarded by the South African Government as independent, when this study commenced. Since then, the Republic of South Africa has reshaped and now comprises nine regions, each with its own conservation authority. Consequently, readers need to bear in mind that any reference to the Cape, Natal, Orange Free States and/or Transvaal provinces in this report refers to the geographical and political entities that existed in 1993. Regardless of the recent changes, it is hoped that the findings of this study will serve as a useful tool to inform and guide the government, conservationists, bird breeders and others who have an interest in ensuring that South Africa is a positive force for the conservation of African Grey Parrots and other wildlife species in trade. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: TRAFFIC East/Southern Africa, 1995. 44p. Source: A Traffic East/Southern Africa Report: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2012 at http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_birds9.pdf Year: 1995 Country: South Africa Keywords: Illegal Wildlife Trade, Birds (South Africa) Shelf Number: 125081 |
Author: Bruce, David Title: The Law for Sale: Endemic Corruption in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department Summary: This report focuses on corruption in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD). Corruption in traffic enforcement is an issue of special concern. It is widespread and it conveys an implicit message when practised as brazenly as it is by some police officers involved in traffic enforcement, amongst them members of the JMPD. The message is that corruption is acceptable; and that it is a matter of indifference to government representatives. This undermines the credibility of the state system and of any aspirations towards advancing the rule of law. The report starts by discussing survey data from Stats SA that indicates that upwards of 150 000 drivers in Johannesburg are asked to pay bribes annually. The results of two Lead SA surveys are also discussed indicating that corruption in traffic enforcement is especially prominent in Johannesburg and thereby implicating the JMPD. The report then focuses on the experiences of drivers in Johannesburg regarding corruption. It describes what it calls ‘the JMPD routine’ – a technique for soliciting bribes that is widely used by JMPD members. JMPD corruption does not only involve the soliciting of bribes but also involves other forms of criminality that include extortion and acts of robbery that involve snatching or otherwise taking money or other possessions from people who have been stopped. Cases are also reported of JMPD members demanding sexual favours in lieu of ‘payment’. The research on which this report is based found that corruption permeates most areas of the functioning of the JMPD including licensing and the policing of informal traders. These latter JMPD functions will be the subject of future Corruption Watch reports. This report however focuses on corruption in traffic enforcement. The report concludes that the scale of the problem is of such a nature that it is possible that the majority (more than 50%) of JMPD members are involved in corruption. This means that there are unlikely to be any JMPD members who could not identify, by name, several of their colleagues who are involved in bribery; even though they may not be corrupt themselves. Although corruption is acknowledged to be a problem, leadership of the JMPD and representatives of the City of Johannesburg severely understate its scale, insisting that only a small minority of JMPD members are directly implicated in corrupt activities. Data on the small number of cases investigated by the JMPD’s Internal Affairs division is put forward as representative of the scale of the problem, despite persuasive evidence gathered by researchers and the media, as well as the experience of the Johannesburg citizenry, that JMPD corruption is rampant. When the issue of corruption is raised with JMPD leaders their response is also frequently to portray it as a problem that is created by the public. While it is true that many members of the public willingly involve themselves in corrupt transactions, it may be assumed that most people would be afraid to offer bribes if they feared that JMPD members would take action against them for doing so. However, the exact allocation of responsibility between members of the JMPD and the public for the problem of corruption is a secondary matter in this report. The key point is that it is the Johannesburg Metropolitan government and the JMPD who are responsible for maintaining law and order on the roads of Johannesburg and who thus who bear the principal responsibility for addressing corruption. The scale of corruption in fact demonstrates that there are systemic weaknesses in current responses to corruption within the JMPD. An important manifestation of these weaknesses is that although there is an internal investigative and disciplinary system, it is clearly not meeting the demands being placed on it. For example, the JMPD has up to this point never been able to answer questions about how many, if any, members who are involved in corruption have been found guilty in disciplinary proceedings and dismissed from the JMPD. The report concludes with recommendations for addressing this complex problem. However, any effort in this direction must begin by the leadership of the city and the JMPD acknowledging the scale of the problem. Details: Parklands, South Africa: Corruption Watch, 2012. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2012 at: http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/attachments/39016_corruption_watch_report_final.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bribes Shelf Number: 125116 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Report on Children in Prison in South Africa Summary: This report is an update to the situational analysis of children in prison in South Africa prepared by the Community Law Centre in 1997. The Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 (Child Justice Act), promulgated on 1 April 2010, introduced a markedly different child justice regime than that which was previously regulated by the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 and the common law. This development, along with various others which have emerged since 1997 (e.g. child justice jurisprudence and government’s renewed focus on children in conflict with the law), has changed the way in which South Africa’s courts and correctional system deal with children in conflict with the law. Accordingly, an updated analysis on children in prison became necessary. The findings in this report are based on both quantitative and qualitative data from 41 Department of Correctional Services (DCS) facilities. The type of data collected included: individual interviews with sentenced and unsentenced children, numerical data from the DCS Management Information System (MIS), and relevant literature. The report is structured according to a selection of “child justice indicators applicable to imprisonment” developed by Unicef and UNODC. The use of these standardised categorisations means that the international comparison of the data collected can be conducted in a more efficient way. An important finding of the study is that the policies in respect of the services and activities available to children across the centres surveyed, are varied and inconsistent. These include, but are not limited to, information provided at admission, orientation of new admissions, conditions of detention, the segregation of children from adults, access to education, access to recreation and preparation for release. The DCS should make all efforts to identify such inconsistencies and align the services rendered with the requirements of the Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998 (Correctional Services Act), subsidiary legislation and relevant policies. Practices compliant with the relevant legislation were identified at certain DCS facilities, demonstrating that the required standards can be met in the current environment and context. In this regard Brandvlei Youth Correctional Centre should be used as a benchmark example. Since 2003 the total number of children imprisoned in South Africa across all categories has declined rapidly from 4500 to 846 in February 2011. The substantial decline in total numbers does, to some extent, mask some of the shifts that have taken place in offence and sentence profiles. Children charged with and convicted of non-violent offences are now far less likely to be imprisoned. However, sentence tariffs for children have increased slightly; a trend reflected in the total prison population. The child imprisonment rate in South Africa (4.6/100 000) compares favourably with other developing countries (Argentina 39.3/100 000) and even some developed countries (USA 11.9/100 000). Based on snapshot data, children remain awaiting trial in DCS facilities for an average of 70 days. This is a considerable length of time. Moreover, the general lack of services available to such children (educational, social work, therapeutic, developmental and recreational) exacerbates the situation considerably. Of particular concern is the fact that children of compulsory school-going age in awaiting trial facilities are excluded from educational programmes and that conditions of detention are wanting in many regards in several facilities surveyed due to limited infrastructure, overcrowding and “staff shortages”. The situation in respect of sentenced children is noticeably better compared to their unsentenced counterparts, but there is room for significant improvements, particularly in relation to conditions of detention, the range and accessibility of services and programmes, and access to education for all children, especially those of compulsory school-going age. Child safety inside prisons is another reason for concern. Although difficult to determine if the mortality rate of children is of itself reason for concern, reports of violence (including sexual violence) and intimidation were received. The authors also found that the overwhelming majority of DCS officials working with children (sentenced and unsentenced) have not received specialist training on working with children, anti-bullying strategies, suicide prevention or conflict management. There was very little evidence that DCS take any specific measures to promote contact between children and their families, despite the legislative duty to do so. The children must purchase phone cards from their own funds and it is only at a few centres that children are supplied with stationery to write letters to their families. Children, without the necessary funds, are effectively cut off from their families. It was found that 40% of children had not had any visitors in the three months preceding the fieldwork. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Community Law Centre, 2012. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 3, 2012 at: http://cspri.org.za/publications/research-reports/report-on-children-in-prison-in-south-africa Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Corrections Shelf Number: 125463 |
Author: Redpath, Jean Title: Failing to Prosecute? Assessing the State of the National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa Summary: The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is pivotal not only in the criminal justice system, but also in the proper functioning of South Africa’s democracy. This monograph focuses on the independence, accountability and performance of the NPA in relation to its core function of prosecution. The monograph finds that the prosecutorial decision to decline to prosecute is both specifically and systematically exercised to such an extent that proportionally fewer cases are placed on the court roll each year and fewer still are brought to trial. The best indication of this is that the number of verdicts and the number of persons sentenced to prison show a general decline. It concludes that this tendency to decline to prosecute is currently the central malaise affecting the NPA. In South African law, where a prima facie case exists, a duty to prosecute arises unless a compelling reason exists to decline to prosecute. Under a constitutional order such as the one that pertains in South Africa, the exercise of all public power is constrained by the principle of legality and the provisions of the Constitution. Yet the NPA has maintained that it has an unfettered discretion not to prosecute, which discretion is not generally subject to judicial review. The monograph finds no evidence that the tendency to decline to prosecute is a function of lack of resources. Prosecutor and staff numbers have steadily increased since the establishment of the NPA, but efficiency per prosecutor in terms of cases prosecuted has declined. Nor does analysis of the evidence support the idea that the failure to prosecute is a function of pressure beyond the optimal level in terms of cases referred by the South African Police Service (SAPS). On the contrary, the evidence suggests that the NPA is operating at below optimal load. Various legislative and other impediments affecting its performance are identified. It concludes that the primary factor affecting the credibility and performance of the NPA is the inappropriate exercise of the discretion not to prosecute, most powerfully evident in the hands of the national director, who has a constitutionally sanctioned power of veto over the decisions of prosecutors under him. This veto has been exercised (or not exercised) with consequences that continue to cast doubt on the independence and impartiality of the NPA. This in turn affects internal morale and external public confidence. The monograph recommends an overhaul of prosecutorial policy in order appropriately to delineate the circumstances under which the discretion to decline to prosecute should be exercised. Measures to assist the speedy resolution of cases should be mandated by Parliament and innovative means of increasing the number of appropriate resolutions of cases should be introduced. Performance reporting should determine optimal prosecutor workloads and there should be a focus on professional development to achieve the optimal throughput of cases. Details: Pretoria, South Africa:Institute for Security Studies, 2012. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph Number 186: Accessed July 9, 2012 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Mono186Full.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Courts Shelf Number: 125514 |
Author: Bradford, Ben Title: What Price Fairness when Security is at Stake? Police Legitimacy in South Africa Summary: The legitimacy of legal authorities – particularly the police – is central to the state’s ability to function in a normatively justifiable and effective manner. Studies, mostly conducted in the US and UK, regularly find that procedural justice is the most important antecedent of police legitimacy, with judgements about other aspects of its behaviour – notably, its effectiveness – appearing less relevant. But this idea has received only sporadic testing in less cohesive societies where social order is more tenuous, resources to sustain it scarcer, and where the position of the police is less secure. This paper considers whether the link between process fairness and legitimacy holds in the challenging context of present day South Africa. In a high crime and socially divided society do people still emphasise procedural fairness, or are they more interested in instrumental effectiveness? How is the legitimacy of the police influenced by the wider problems faced by the South African state? We find procedural fairness judgements play a key role, but also that South Africans place greater emphasis on police effectiveness (and concerns about crime). We also find that police legitimacy is associated with citizens’ judgements about the wider success and trustworthiness of the state. This opens up new directions for legitimacy research in the context of policing and criminal justice. Details: Social Science Research Network, 2012. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2012 at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2132609 Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Legitimacy (South Africa) Shelf Number: 126344 |
Author: Burton, Patrick Title: Country Assessment on Youth Violence, Policy and Programmes in South Africa Summary: It is increasingly recognised that young people are central to issues of crime and violence in South Africa. While research, policy and programming have historically focused on children and adults, there is a growing emphasis on youth as both victims and perpetrators of violence. This report presents the findings of a country assessment commissioned by the World Bank to support its Incorporating Human Rights into Youth Violence Programming and Policy Dialogues in Mexico and South Africa project. This aims to encourage policy dialogue on youth and violence with the South African government and other stakeholders. The report: examines the current situation of youth violence in South Africa; summarizes the policy response by the government and the prevailing legal and institutional framework; identifies innovative programming by civil society organisations; and identifies entry points for deeper policy dialogue and improved interventions to address youth violence. Details: Washington, DC: Social Development Department, The World Bank, 2012. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 2, 2012 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2012/07/03/000333038_20120703041946/Rendered/PDF/707330WP0South00Box370051B00PUBLIC0.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Offenders Shelf Number: 126822 |
Author: Title: Implementing Peace and Security Architecture (II): Southern Africa Summary: The last part of Africa to be decolonised, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, remains one of the most peaceful. Yet, despite comprehensive protocols and agreements, SADC faces acute challenges characterised by tensions between member states, resource deficits, citizens’ exclusion, social discontent and limited internal and external coordination. Regional security cooperation requires adept infrastructures underwritten by political commitment; but the organisation’s Secretariat appears powerless to ensure policy implementation. It must develop an effective common security policy framework, improve coordination with international partners, harmonise and clarify its role with other SADC structures, broaden engagement with civil society, ensure member-state commitment to African Union (AU) efforts on human and people’s rights and build capacity for evaluation and monitoring. As long as national sovereignty prevails over regional interests, however, the success of SADC mechanisms, notably in conflict resolution, will remain limited. The region faces a range of evolving peace and security threats, including maritime security and piracy, cyber and technology-driven security threats, and socio-economic unrest. Beyond efforts to respond to these challenges, policy implementation capacity and information and response mechanisms are urgently required. SADC’s intervention in Madagascar and Zimbabwe has exposed the region’s limited capacity to enforce agreements it has brokered. Ad hoc and under-resourced mediation imposes additional burdens and responsibilities on the mediators. Civil society engagement in SADC processes in the two countries has been at best tangential, confirming the gulf between the regional body and its citizens. The Madagascar and Zimbabwe cases also highlight that structural governance deficits and politicised security sectors exacerbate conflict. SADC’s mediation efforts reveal the complexities and challenges of dealing with unconstitutional changes in government, contested elections and violations of the region’s electoral code. Details: Johannesburg; Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2012. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Africa Report No. 191: Accessed November 2, 2012 at: Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cybercrimes Shelf Number: 126854 |
Author: Lindsey, Peter A. Title: A Study on the Dehorning of African Rhinoceroses as a Tool to Reduce the Risk of Poaching Summary: South Africa has experienced a massive surge in rhino poaching during the last three years. In response, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs convened a National Rhino Summit, in October 2010 to provide an opportunity for government and the industry to discuss the key interventions relating to rhino poaching, to identify additional initiatives and actions required to address the challenges, to harness further political and broader stakeholder commitment and to launch a strategy to address poaching. Based on the outcomes of the summit, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) commissioned a dehorning impact assessment, to determine whether dehorning is an option in terms of securing rhino populations; a feasibility study to determine the viability of legalising trade in rhino horn in South Africa; and a global market research assessment to enable the Department and stakeholders to make informed decisions relating to key tools that could be used to reduce the threat to rhino populations from poaching. Rhino dehorning has been used historically as a tool to reduce the threat of poaching in parts of southern Africa, and continues to be employed on a large-scale in Zimbabwe. Dehorning is contentious due to uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of the method at reducing poaching, and due to potential veterinary impacts and adverse effects on the behavioural ecology of rhinos. This report is the product of the study on rhino dehorning and was conducted on behalf of DEA by the Endangered Wildlife Trust. The aim of the report is to provide clarity on the impacts and efficacy of dehorning and to identify the circumstances under which the intervention is most likely to be effective at reducing poaching. Key findings of the study are summarized below. Details: Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs, Republic of South Africa, 2011. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed Dec. 1, 2012 at: http://www.environment.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/studyon_dehorning_african_rhinoceros.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching (South Africa) Shelf Number: 127041 |
Author: Seekings, Jeremy Title: Socio-Economic Conditions, Young Men and Violence in Cape Town Summary: People in violent neighbourhoods attribute violence in public spaces to, especially, poverty and unemployment, but agree that social disintegration, disrespect, drinking and drugs and the weaknesses of the criminal justice system also contribute substantially. However, data from a panel of young men in Cape Town provide little support for the hypothesis that unemployment and poverty are direct causes of violence against strangers. Growing up in a home where someone drank heavily or took drugs is, however, a strong predictor of violence against strangers in early adulthood. A history of drinking (or taking drugs) correlates with perpetration of violence, and might also serve as a mechanism through which conditions during childhood have indirect effects. Living in a bad neighbourhood and immediate poverty are associated with violence against strangers, but being unemployed is not. Overall, heavy drinking – whether by adults in the childhood home or by young men themselves – seems to be a more important predictor of violence than economic circumstances in childhood or the recent past. Heavy drinking seems to play an important part in explaining why some young men have been more violent than others in circumstances that seem to have been generally conducive to rising violence, for reasons that remain unclear. It seems likely that few young people in South Africa in the early 2000s come from backgrounds that strongly predispose them against the use of violence. Details: Brighton, UK: MICROCON, University of Sussex, 2011. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: MICROCON Research Working Paper 49: Accessed December 4, 2012 at: http://www.microconflict.eu/publications/RWP49_JS_KT.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Alcohol Abuse Shelf Number: 127121 |
Author: Gossman, Christina Title: Urban Resilience in Situations of Chronic Violence Case Study of Johannesburg, South Africa Summary: The Johannesburg of yore was polarized. Whereas in the past it was tainted by the strictures of apartheid, Johannesburg is now striving to be a first-world city. It is the economic hub of sub-Saharan Africa and was site of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although its origins are steeped in controversy and founded on practices of racial segregation, today it brands itself as integrated and heterogeneous. Yet present day Johannesburg is actually a city of gray areas. It is more cohesive culturally, economically, and racially than in the past, but in many parts of the city this integration is incomplete or precarious. Unity is neither present in all neighborhoods, nor spread equally across all city spaces; and for some residents the aims of social and spatial integration challenge the search for identity and community. It is this disconnect between the physical layout of the city, its polarized workings, and a wide range of individual and collective aspirations that helps fuel the violence that has made Johannesburg famous not only for its gold rush, its man-made forest, and its climate, but also for its high rates of crime and murder. Johannesburg has long been one of the most important cities of Sub-Saharan Africa. Even the decline of the mining industry did not halt its growth. Instead, numerous industries have grown significantly, attracting an increasing number of South Africans from rural provinces as well as foreigners from neighboring African countries. The apartheid era that disenfranchised black South Africans politically and economically, in combination with the country’s increasing rate of urbanization (62% of the population now lives in cities) led this small mining town to become the crime capital of South Africa. Like other cities studied in this project, while the physical layout of Johannesburg is rather straightforward, its spatial organization is more complex and depends largely on distances from and relationships with the state. Distance from the state can be either quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative distance is a mere matter of the physical distance from the city-center and its governing bodies and seems to have minimal effects within the city. Qualitative distance, however, is a matter of affiliation and perception, and has much more bearing on violence within the city. Within Johannesburg, the physical layout does not match the spatial organization, and it is perhaps in areas where the two are most dissonant that violence emerges most prominently. In neighborhoods that are physically proximate to the city-center but have an incredibly far perceived distance from the state in terms of economy, culture, services, or communication, violence is often used as a mechanism to compensate for the gap. The relationship of different parts of the state is a key factor in levels of violence, and is largely wrapped up in the concept of identity. Within Johannesburg, there are homogeneous spaces of people who mostly share a common identity that is unrelated to the state and there are heterogeneous spaces of people with different identities centered around a common tie to the state. This report focuses on the role and interactions between individuals, communities and governmental organizations in producing resilience. Which ones are effective, which ones are destructive? How do actors on the residential, collective and government level see these interactions and does collaboration among them exist? Given the time constraints in the field and the multitude and levels of violence and resilience in Johannesburg, we decided to focus on two neighborhoods that represent neighborhoods with high level of violence as well as a high number of innovative strategies for resilience: Hillbrow, one of Johannesburg's oldest, most transformed, and ever-changing neighborhoods, and Diepsloot, a relatively young, peri-urban informal settlement in the north of Johannesburg. Details: Cambridge, MA: Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2012 at: http://www.urcvproject.org/uploads/Johannesburg_URCV.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Neighborhoods and Crime Shelf Number: 127137 |
Author: Lockwood, Caroline Title: Analysis of Rhino Poaching in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Summary: South Africa has a proud history of rhino conservation with significant proportions of Africa’s rhino populations protected and managed within staterun and privately owned properties. South Africa is experiencing unprecedented rhino poaching, in terms of both total rhino deaths and the level of sophistication employed by the poachers. While the total rhino harvest rates (trophy hunting and poaching) are not yet considered unsustainable to the overall South African rhino populations, the rate at which the poaching is increasing and the involvement of organised criminals (national and international) is a major concern. The aim of this study is to investigate which spatial and temporal variables or combination of, best explain the distribution of rhino poaching patterns in KZN South Africa, along with an exploration of local rhino property managers and owners attitudes regarding poaching and rhino protection costs. The results of the Generalised Linear Model revealed the State Management, Housing Density, Presence of a Road Through a Property as the best‐fit model, although the highly correlated relationships between Management, Area, Roads and Rhino Population Density could be masking the true effect, and further research at a finer scale would be required. The qualitative analysis of landowner and reserve manager attitudes and opinions yielded a wide variety of issues that are all worthy of further discussion and investigation. Details: London: Imperial College of London, 2010. 78p. Source: Thesis: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2012 at http://www.iccs.org.uk/wp-content/thesis/consci/2011/Lockwood.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching (South Africa) Shelf Number: 127218 |
Author: Pieterse, Duncan Title: Exposure to Violence and Educational Outcomes: Evidence from Cape Town, South Africa Summary: We explore the relationship between exposure to violence during childhood perpetrated by adults inside the home and educational outcomes in the context of higher than average rates of violence in Cape Town, South Africa and the disproportionate exposure to violence of young South Africans (black and coloured youth in particular). We match official police murder statistics at the neighbourhood level to the Cape Area Panel Study to provide a unique descriptive analysis of violence in Cape Town and we determine the extent of selection bias using matching techniques. Using three measures of educational outcomes (numeracy and literacy test scores, dropout and high school exam results), we: (i) estimate kernel density functions of continuous educational outcomes measures by race and exposure to violence during childhood; (ii) remove constant differences in unobserved family and neighbourhood background that may bias the results by using sibling and neighbourhood fixed effect models; (iii) check the robustness of our sibling fixed effect regressions by including birth order effects. In the neighbourhood fixed effect regressions, the measures of exposure to violence are significant and have a large negative effect on educational outcomes (with the exception of literacy scores). In the sibling fixed effect regressions, the effect remains for two of the four measures of exposure to violence during childhood. The measure of exposure to emotional violence during childhood is least affected by selection bias and the only measure robust to the inclusion of birth order effects. Details: Rondebosch, South Africa: Centre for Social Science Research, 2012. 68p. Source: Centre for Social Science Research Working Paper No. 306: Internet Resource: Accessed December 21, 2012 at http://www.cssr.uct.ac.za/sites/cssr.uct.ac.za/files/pubs/WP306.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Children's Exposure to Violence (South Africa) Shelf Number: 127255 |
Author: Faull, Andrew Title: Professionalism and the South African Police Service: What is it and how can it help build safer communities? Summary: This paper explores developments in the concept of police professionalism that have emerged in South Africa in recent years. It considers professionalism in relation to comparable historical and contemporary developments in the US and UK, and consolidates the different ways in which these are currently manifesting in South Africa. Adding to the current discourse, it suggests that a professional South African Police Service (SAPS) should include a clearly defined, minimalist mandate. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2012. 24p. Source: Institute for Security Studies Paper No. 240: Internet Resource: Accessed January 13, 2013 at http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper240.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Behavior Shelf Number: 127271 |
Author: SBP Title: The Impact of Crime on Small Businesses in South Africa Summary: There is broad agreement that the high levels of crime – and violent crime in particular – significantly constrain businesses in South Africa. However, very little has been known about: • how likely small and emerging business are to be victims of crime • the types of crime they experience most frequently • the ways in which crime constrains small business growth and development, and • how much crime actually costs small businesses both in money and in resources. This report provides the first evidence-based answers to these questions. The sur-vey covered 446 small and emerging businesses, almost all owned by historically disadvantaged black Africans, in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. The survey focused on businesses operating in industrial sectors with the potential to contribute to economic growth and to support job creation. The sample largely excluded subsistence-level activities. It covered businesses located in inner city areas, large townships and informal settlements, and densely developed suburban areas such as shopping centres and business parks, and provides robust evidence about the experiences and perceptions of small business owners in a variety of settings in and around the three major metropolitan areas, with their different local economies and urban cultures. Details: Johannesburg: SBP, 2008. 102p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 29, 2013 at: http://www.sbp.org.za/uploads/media/SBP_impact_of_crime_on_small_businesses_report___2008.pdf Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 127434 |
Author: Jaynes, Natalie Title: Flying Below the Radar? The Armed Private Security Sector in South Africa Summary: This paper examines the South African private security sector, with particular focus on the firearms holdings of South African private security companies (PSCs). The central question that this paper seeks to answer is whether PSCs in South Africa are a source of illicit firearms and ammunition, and contribute to levels of firearm death and injury. This key question is addressed in six parts, commencing with a scene-setting discussion on international benchmarks for PSC firearms and ammunition controls. Against this backdrop, the paper then investigates the current state of South African legislation and regulations on firearms and ammunition controls for PSCs, and the extent to which these relate to and comply with international standards. The paper focuses on the South African private security sector and explores to what extent this sector utilises firearms/ammunition. The following section then attempts to gauge the extent to which relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks are being implemented, enforced and adhered to within the private security sector. The paper then examines the extent and dynamics of firearms and ammunition diversion and misuse from/by the private security sector. Details: Pinelands, South Africa: Open Society Foundation for South Africa, 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2013 at: http://osf.org.za/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/CJI-Occasional-Paper-11.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gun Violence Shelf Number: 127538 |
Author: Schoeman, Marelize Title: The Influence of Imprisonment on Infants and Young Children Incarcerated with their Mothers Summary: Deprivation of liberty due to incarceration is a controversial and sensitive issue because of the impact it has on the perpetrators’ life as well as the lives of their family members. This controversy is the result of the conflict that exists between criminal law policy and the fundamental human rights of perpetrators of the law. Zermatten states that there are scarcely any situations where so many human rights are violated as during imprisonment. This becomes even more complicated and sensitive when pregnant women or mothers of infants and young children are incarcerated. Incarcerated mothers, in the absence of the necessary information regarding available placement options for their children, often feel compelled to keep their infants and young children with them in prison. Imprisoned women also quickly realise that they receive more privileges if their children remain with then during their incarceration. Opinions vary whether this is in the best interest of a young child. The most popular point of view is that imprisonment of a small dependant child with its mother has an adverse effect on the child’s survival, health, development as well as psychological and emotional well-being. According to research, this is mainly due to the negative environmental and social factors associated with a prison environment. In contrast with this opinion the importance of the formation of an emotional bond between a child and its primary caregiver, usually the mother, are emphasised. Findings from research indicate that a child could suffer devastating effects and emotional scaring if it is separated for an extended period of time during childhood from its caregiver. Limited research has been done in South Africa to explore the impact of a child’s imprisonment with its mother on such a child as well as the impact of forced separation between a mother and a child due to the mother’s incarceration. Details: South Africa: National Institute for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders (NICRO), 2009. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 7, 2013 at: http://www.nicro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Babies-behind-bars-summary.pdf Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Children of Prisoners (South Africa) Shelf Number: 127857 |
Author: Sonke Gender Justice Network Title: Gender Relations, Sexual Violence and the Effects of Conflict on Women and Men in North Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Preliminary Results from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) Summary: In June 2012, Sonke Gender Justice Network, Promundo-US and the Institute for Mental Health of Goma implemented the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) in Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)1. A total of 708 men and 754 women between the ages of 18-59 were interviewed in: (1) rural areas outside Goma; (2) Goma proper; (3) an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp; and (4) a military base near Goma (with officers, enlisted men and wives of military personnel). Qualitative research consisted of eight focus group discussions (four with men and four with women totaling 40 men and 51 women) and 24 in-depth individual interviews (10 with men, 14 with women, respectively). This report presents preliminary findings from the study. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Sonke Gender Justice Network, 2013?. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 3, 2013 at: http://www.genderjustice.org.za/resources/reports.html?view=docman Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Rape Shelf Number: 128197 |
Author: Mathews, Shanaaz Title: Child Homicide Patterns in South Africa: Is There a Link to Child Abuse? Summary: The South African Constitution’s Bill of Rights provides children the right to care and protection, yet thousands of children experience abuse daily (physical/sexual and psychological). Not much is known about child homicides in South Africa. Only one South African study using data from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS) for four urban areas among 0-14 year olds report homicide rates following similar patterns to global rates, with the highest rate among young male children aged 0-4 years. Of significance, studies from high income countries indicate that a substantial proportion of child homicides are due to child abuse and neglect, including physical and sexual abuse as well as neglect and negligent behaviour. Generally younger children are most at risk of fatal child abuse and neglect due to their dependence on carers and inability to protect themselves. The Gender & Health Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council has completed a national study of child homicides in 2009 and this research brief summarises its findings on the magnitude of child homicide and deaths related to child abuse and neglect. Key Findings • Three children a day are murdered in South Africa • South Africa has an overall child homicide rate of 5.5/100 000 population • Child homicide in South Africa has a distinct gender pattern with more younger age girl children murdered and an increase in male homicide during adolescence • The teenage male homicide rate of 21.7/100 000 population is excessive and mirrors the pattern of adult male homicide • Nearly half (44.5%) of all child homicides were due to child abuse and neglect • 16% of all child homicides were due to abandonment within the first week of life. Details: Tygerberg, South Africa: South African Medical Research Council, 2012. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.mrc.ac.za/policybriefs/childhomicide.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Abandonment Shelf Number: 128210 |
Author: Abrahams, Naeemah Title: Every Eight Hours: Intimate Femicide in South Africa 10 Years later! Summary: The killing of a woman by her partner is the most extreme consequence of intimate partner violence. Monitoring such violence provides insights on the impact of laws, policies and programs for gender-based violence prevention. In this research brief we compare the results of two South African national studies that described prevalence and patterns of female homicide and intimate femicide in 1999 and 2009. The study showed a decrease of female homicides overall as well as for intimate femicides but the decrease for intimates was at a lower rate. A significant difference in suspected rape homicide was found with more rapes perpetrated by non-intimate in 2009 compared to 1999. A significant overall reduction of gun murders was also found between the two years. Convictions of perpetrators decreased and was most significant among non-intimate femicides. The study show that homicide in South Africa is declining, but genderbased homicides are disproportionately resistant to the change while rape homicides have proportionately increased. We need to increase our prevention efforts and it is also essential for health, police and justice departments to prioritise such cases so that those who kill women are held accountable and punished. Details: Cape Town: South African Medical Research Council, 2012. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.mrc.ac.za/policybriefs/everyeighthours.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Female Homicide Shelf Number: 128213 |
Author: Newman, Gareth Title: Policing in South Africa: 2010 and Beyond. Conference Report Summary: This conference report focuses on the links between civil society and the police. The authors argue that there is a need to reconsider policing and connect it more to society. Crime is seen as a societal problem which can only be effectively combated when different societal actors are mobilized and when the interests of citizens are taken seriously. Issues addressed included: Police corruption; Policing the FIFA World Cup; Use of deadly force by policing; Police reform; and Community policing and policing partnerships. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2011. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2013 at: http://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/PolicinginSA2010.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Administration Shelf Number: 128337 |
Author: Shaw, Mark Title: The Evolution of Organised Crime in Africa Summary: This paper is part of an ISS project analysing the linkages between organised crime and statehood in Africa and exploring how policy and operational responses could be better coordinated and strengthened across the continent. Organised crime permeates many of the debates on how to build a prosperous Africa that benefits all its inhabitants, yet research on the topic is limited. This paper examines the key factors that enabled the growth of organised crime in Africa and identifies the actors involved. It highlights the main trends that have made Africa so vulnerable to organised crime, identifies implications for the future and proposes responses. Much of the technical and development assistance dedicated to addressing organised crime in Africa has not worked well. The analysis presented here will hopefully catalyse debate between donors and African countries that will offer more effective and coordinated strategies. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Paper 244: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper244.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Organized Crime (South Africa) Shelf Number: 128410 |
Author: Brankovic, Jasmina Title: Leaving the Gangster Things to the Boys Growing Up Now: Young Men, Physical Violence, and Structural Violence in Post-Transition South Africa Summary: This paper examines the intersection of physical violence, structural violence, and masculinity through the life history narrative of a 20-year-old man exiting an informal gang in Gugulethu, a township in Cape Town. Beginning and remaining with James Madoda’s narrative, the paper shows how the gendered physical violence between young men in townships emerges from historical and present-day structural violence - here defined as institutionalised power inequalities that limit life opportunities - and argues that structural violence needs to be discussed and addressed as a policy issue in South Africa. It also suggests that structural violence may provide a platform for collaboration among civil society actors working on socioeconomic transformation and the prevention of violence. Details: Cape Town: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape, 2012. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: Cape Town: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gang Violence Shelf Number: 128411 |
Author: Thomas, Kylie Title: Homophobia, Injustice and ‘Corrective Rape’ in Post-Apartheid South Africa Summary: This report offers a critique of the terms ‘corrective rape’ and ‘curative rape’ and argues for careful and nuanced application of the concept of ‘hate crimes’. The report focuses on a particular, individual life history and experience of trauma. It also argues for understanding gender‐based violence as structural violence. Details: Cape Town: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape, 2013. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/images/docs/VTP3/k_thomas_homophobia_injustice_and_corrective%20rape_in_post_apartheid_sa.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gender-Based Violence Shelf Number: 128412 |
Author: Thomas, Kylie Title: The Power of Naming: ‘Senseless Violence’ and Violent Law in Post-Apartheid South Africa Summary: This report focuses on vigilantism, on the practice of ‘necklacing’ as a form of punishment, and on police violence in South Africa post-apartheid. The report engages with a series of questions about how popular forms of justice are imagined and enacted and about what the persistence of forms of violent punishment that originated during apartheid signifies in South Africa today. The report explores some of the complex reasons why people understand violence to be a means for achieving justice. It considers issues related to collective violence, violence connected to service delivery protests, and violence widely understood by perpetrators, onlookers, and researchers to be punitive in intent. It contests the idea that such forms of violence are ‘senseless’, arguing that to do so is to evade the question of how violence is bound to the political order, both past and present. Details: Cape Town: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape, 2012. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/images/docs/VTP3/k_thomas_the_power_of_naming_senseless_violence_and_violent_law_in_post_apartheid_sa.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Misconduct Shelf Number: 128413 |
Author: Lambrechts, Derica Title: The Impact of Organised Crime on Social Control by the state: A study of Manenberg in Cape Town, South Summary: This study set out to research the influence of a local non-state actor on the role and authority of the state, in the domestic environment. Accordingly, the research problem focused on the impact of a domestic actor on the association between the state and the society. This study only focused on the state at the level of local government and the impact of one specific actor, organised criminal groups, on social control by the state. Thus, state-society relations were discussed in this context. In order to guide this study, the main and two supportive research questions were stated as follows: What is the impact of organised crime on the social control by the state? What are the power dynamics between local governance, criminal agents and society? Has the state become criminalised at the level of local government, as a result of the activities of organised crime, and if so, to what extent? The state thus functioned as the dependent variable and organised criminal groups as the independent variable. The theoretical foundation of this study was located in state-society relations, and specific reference was given to the work of Migdal (1988) and his analysis of state social control, pyramidal and weblike societies. Furthermore, a neo-pluralist view of the state was followed. A conceptualisation of the criminalisation of the state was provided, as the criminalisation of the state was regarded as one possible impact of organised crime on the state. In order to analyse the criminalisation of the state, a framework was constructed from four main avenues of empirical observation. In order to answer the research questions, a case study research design and a predominantly qualitative methodology was selected. As a case, the City of Cape Town was selected and Manenberg, located on the Cape Flats, as the site for the research. A case study research design created the opportunity to describe the context in detail and to connect the micro level of analysis to the macro level; thus, it provided insight on the research topic that enabled the researcher to expand/build theory. The field research process occurred over a period of three months using a triangulation of methods: Key informant interview, small group discussions and observation with three categories of respondents. These three categories included: Community members of Manenberg, organised criminal groups and agents of local government and local governance. In order to set the stage for the empirical analysis, a contextualisation of the dependent and independent variables were provided. It was stated that there is a lack of a universally agreed upon definition of organised crime, and as a result, a conceptualisation of organised crime was generated for this study. It was further argued that the majority of literature treats organised criminal groups and organised criminal gangs as two separate concepts, despite the fact that there are more similarities than differences. Thus, for the purpose of this study, a conclusion was reached that the difference is inconsequential. The development of organised crime in South Africa and an examination of the historical development of the gangs on the Cape Flats were described. With regards to the dependent variable, the context was provided for an analysis of local government in South Africa. The demographical and operational features of the municipal area of the City of Cape Town were explained, with specific reference to safety and security elements. The primary data collected was analysed according to the indicators of social control (compliance, participation and legitimacy), as identified by Migdal (1988). In addition, the framework to analyse the criminalisation of the state at the level of local government was applied on the case study. Based on the analysis, a different system, to what was described by Migdal (1988) in his narrative of a triangle of accommodation was found to be in operation in Manenberg on the Cape Flats. It was confirmed that there is the presence of a weakened state and accordingly, a weblike society, where social control is fragmented between local government and the criminal community. However, in this weblike society a system of local power dynamics exists between the criminal community, social community and local agents of governance, where dyadic collaboration occurs between all three the actors. However, despite the collaboration, the criminalisation of the state does not occur, but rather the statification of the organised criminal community, as it provides goods and service to the social community. The main findings can be summarised as: If a state lacks extensive social control and a rival authority has claimed a level of social control, this will not necessarily lead to the further weakening of the state, as a result of a system of power dynamics in place, where collaboration between the social community, the criminal community and local agents of governance occurs. This system is kept in place by: On-going efforts by the state to maintain (or regain) compliance, participation and legitimacy; corrupt agents of the state (specifically in the security sector); a level of operational ease that exists for the criminal community (and the interweaving of the criminal community in the social community) and a relatively strong society that acknowledges the benefits of criminal activities for the social community, but also recognises the authority and control of the state. Details: Stellenbosch, South Africa: Stellenbosch University, 2013. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 25, 2013 at: http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/80057 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Economics of Crime Shelf Number: 128494 |
Author: Mcghee, Sarah Theresa Title: Masculinity, Sexuality, and Soccer: An Exploration of Three Grassroots Sport-for-Social-Change Organizations in South Africa Summary: Programs that utilize soccer as a tool for social change are steadily emerging throughout townships and rural areas in South Africa, the most economically disadvantaged areas of the country. In South Africa, grassroots sport-for-social-change organizations are compensating for failed government policies and programs that seek to help at-risk youth. As a result, program staff are often members of the community who are not versed in academic critiques of the use of sport in development initiatives. Additionally, much of the existing literature on sport-for-social-change champions the advancement of specific projects without asking critical research questions, which should include the appropriateness of the modality within a given context. In this case, the complexities of using soccer (e.g., its practices, historical significance, and gendered meanings) have not been thoroughly investigated. Soccer is not a “genderless” tool for social change. Participation in violent sports such as soccer has been used to bolster claims of a naturalized dominance of men over women. Although participation by girls and young women in soccer programs (professional and recreational) is increasing in urban townships and rural areas, soccer pitches remain largely “masculinized spaces.” In this study, I use qualitative research methods to show how gendered discourses organize sport-for-social-change programs. Using Ashcraft and Mumby’s theory of feminist communicology and Connell and Messerschmidt’s reformulated theory of hegemonic masculinity, I examine three sport-for-social-change organizations in South Africa through an applied lens with a feminist standpoint. Semi-structured interviews with twelve key informants were conducted over a three-month period between May and August of 2009. All three organizations studied are grassroots organizations that work within a particular area of South Africa. They each target male children and youth between the ages of 6 and 19 from economically disadvantaged households and use soccer as a modality for social change, yet each organization operates within a different cultural context primarily based on participants’ racial, regional, and ethnic identities. My research found that masculine discourses were constructed, maintained, and contested in sport-for-social-change organizations through: (a) (Not) Engaging in (Social) Fatherhood, (b) Challenging the Temptation to Lead a Gangster Life and Have a “Gangster” Attitude, and (c) Challenging Patriarchy, Physical Assault, and Cultural “Traditions.” Discourses also created paradoxes that worked against the goal of contesting local hegemonic masculinities, although these paradoxes were not typically identified by organizational members. Although I found similarities in the influences of local discourses on organizations such as the lingering effects of The Group Areas Act on urban migration that influenced men’s roles within their families; the desire to create positive male role models that rejected characteristics associated with exemplars of hegemonic masculinity identified in each case study; and concerns about stopping the pattern of domestic violence prevalent in some communities, an issue that is also related to spread of HIV, I also found differences. Differences were based primarily on racial, regional and ethnic signifiers and affected the goals of each organization as well as the design of programs aimed at achieving these goals. Details: University of South Florica, Department of Communications, 2012. 227p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 25, 2013: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5564&context=etd Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: At-risk Youth Shelf Number: 128495 |
Author: Mncube, Vusi Title: The Dynamics of Violence in Schools in South Africa Summary: There is an oft-repeated argument by many social commentators that our streets, schools and roads are unbearably violent. As we continually witness events unfolding in several spheres of our society, be it in the mines; in our education system, or even in the political arena, the question of using violence to get points across perpetually rears its ugly head. The question we should be asking ourselves, if we are convinced that we are a violent society, is to what extent is violence prevalent in our schools and how does it contribute to the shaping of the young mind? Because in a normal sequence of events, the learners we have in our classrooms today are the leaders of tomorrow. The dynamics of violence in schools: Implications for policy makers in South African Education’ is an instructive study which was conducted by a team of researchers from Unisa’s College of Education in six of South Africa’s provinces: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Kwa-Zulu Natal, North West and the Western Cape. It explored the nature and extent of violence in South African schools focussing mainly on the types of violence, the underlying causes of violence and initiatives for its prevention. The findings of the study suggest that violence is a serious problem in many South African schools. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2013. 144p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2013 at: http://www.unisa.ac.za/contents/colleges/col_education/docs/The%20Dynamics%20of%20Violence%20in%20South%20African%20schools.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: School Crimes Shelf Number: 128513 |
Author: Desai, Ashwin Title: The Cape of Good Dope? A post-apartheid story of gangs and vigilantes Summary: Everything lies in the challenge and the duel – that is to say, everything still lies in the dual personal relation with the opposing power. It is that power which humiliated you, so it must be humiliated. And not merely exterminated. It has to be made to lose face ... it must be targeted and wounded in a genuinely adversarial relation. (Baudillard 2002:25-26) Pagad (People Against Gangsterism and Drugs)entered the South African political landscape in dramatic fashion. On the night of the 4th August 1996, Pagad drove in convoy from the Gatesville Mosque to the house of the head of the Hard Livings gang, Rashaad Staggie. He was not home, but in an act of bravado, arrived. Already shots had been fired between Pagad and those inside Staggie’s Salt River home. While trying to alight from his vehicle, he was shot in the head. As he fell out of his bakkie, ‘his inert body, apparently dead, was kicked, jumped on, hit with the butt of a shotgun and shot several more times before a petrol bomb was hurled at the body. Miraculously, this revived the mortally wounded man and he rose and tried to run away, only to be brought down by a volley of gunfire from the crowd’. (Sunday Tribune 11 August 1996) All this happened in the full glare of the media and with the police present. It was one of the first times a movement in post-apartheid South Africa acted with such impunity and with such directness in respect of their aims and objectives. Pagad wanted to rid the flats of gangs and drugs. Participants in its first big mass march had just killed a leading gangster and known drug-dealer. Five years later Pagad was involved in another dramatic incident in the city centre: Shots were fired and pedestrians scrambled for cover as policemen engaged in a shootout with seven men who escaped from court in Cape Town . . . The seven members of Pagad’s G-Force, faced urban terrorism charges. They apparently overpowered a policemen in the high court’s holding cells during a lunch break and seized his gun . . . scaled a gate to reach Queen Victoria Street, and were then involved in a shootout with the police in the after-lunch traffic in the city centre. (The Mercury, 5 October 2001) What had happened in the five years that turned Pagad from being an organisation seeking to rid the Cape Flats of druglords into fugitives from the law? Details: Durban, South Africa: Centre for Civil Society; University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Development Studies, 2004. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Acessed May 1, 2013 at: http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/files/Desai%20Pagad%20Research%20Report.pdf Year: 2004 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gangs (South Africa) Shelf Number: 128593 |
Author: Kinnes, Irvin Title: From Urban Street Gangs to Criminal Empires: The changing face of gangs in the Western Cape, June 2000 Summary: The ongoing gang fights between the Americans, the Hard Livings and other gangs on the Cape Flats have caught the attention of the nation. The fights were started in an attempt to establish the new leadership of these gangs in the face of the assassinations of their old leadership core by vigilantes during 1998. It is significant that gangs have chosen to fight one another while facing of attacks by vigilantes, and have continued to defend themselves while simultaneously carrying on with their illegal operations. The trend of violence unfolding in South Africa and particularly in the Western Cape follows the same pattern of other developing countries undergoing transition. Countries such as those belonging to the former Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (Russia, for example), East Germany, Poland and Argentina all experienced a general increase in criminality during periods of political transition. This monograph examines the changing patterns of gangs across the Western Cape during the past few years. It sketches patterns of development in the organisation of crime with particular reference to the major street gangs in the Western Cape. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2000. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph No. 48: Accessed May 9, 2013 at: http://dspace.cigilibrary.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/31702/1/Mono48.pdf?1 Year: 2000 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gang Violence Shelf Number: 128692 |
Author: Munneke, Jop Title: The Eyes and Ears of the Police? Questioning the Role of Community Policing in Durban, South Africa Summary: Today, the number of actors that are involved in policing are increasing, and its field is not limited to the state police anymore. In this wider field of policing, the role of the community is increasingly recognised as important. The idea that the community should be more actively involved in policing has led to the concept of Community Policing, where the community as an actor in the security spectrum is officially recognised. Community Policing is surfacing and gaining in importance all over the world. But what is Community Policing? What is the ideal behind it, and how is it implemented in actual settings? Community Policing is both initiated by the police as a formal strategy to policing, as well as by the community as an informal strategy, which is often a response caused by discontent about the state-police’s performance in ensuring citizens’ personal security. In South Africa, both forms are seen. Formal Community Policing initiatives were initially introduced during South Africa’s transition to democracy in the early 1990s, when it was used as the police’s main strategy to ensure a smooth transition into a new political system, and to increase the legitimacy of the police among the public. Community Policing Fora (CPF) were the structures that were to ensure Community Policing’s proper implementation. Today, several years after the country’s transition, CPF lost their necessity in ensuring a proper transfer to democracy. Thus, their focus has changed towards crime-prevention, and the community, the police, and local governments are to establish a partnership and devise strategies together to ensure a reduction in crime and safer neighbourhoods. This thesis is based on an ethnographic study that I undertook within neighbourhoods of Durban and their CPF in early 2011. I undertook this research with the purpose of understanding how the CPF work and what their relationship is to the community’s perceptions of security. My findings show that different CPF face different successes and challenges, and that no general conclusion can be made as to how they work. However, factors that may be distinguished as potential challenges to the proper functioning of the fora include resource problems among the South African Police Service (SAPS), the deeply divided society of post-Apartheid South Africa, a lack of trust that the community has in the police and wrong interpretations about how a CPF should function. The effects of a poor relationship between the CPF and the community that is caused by these factors, show themselves in the CPF turning into a complaints forum, poor attendance from the community, increasingly negative perceptions of the SAPS and the surfacing of informal Community Policing initiatives in both the formal and informal settlements of Durban. However, positive results are also seen, and especially through an educational role where the CPF educate the public about actual crime rates and necessary precautions to take in order to decrease an individual’s chances of being a victim of crime, the CPF can and do contribute to higher perceptions of security among the community. Finally, I conclude that when determining the successes of CPF, they should be viewed in a broader perspective than the current one which only looks at their influence on crime-rates. CPF may fail to cause a substantial decrease in numbers, but they may have an effect on longer-term issues that South African society faces, like socio-economic inequality and a deeply divided society. Details: International Police Executive Symposium, 2013. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 43: Accessed August 7, 2013 at: http://www.ipes.info/WPS/WPS_No_43.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Community Policing (Durban, South Africa) Shelf Number: 129567 |
Author: Coetzee, Jenny Title: Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Services for Female Street- and - Hotel-Based Sgex Summary: Sex work is a crime in South Africa. With the prevalence and deleterious social and economic effects of HIV, in health literature sex work has often been understood in relation to the way that it intersects with the transmission of the epidemic. This positioning of sex work then inadvertently stigmatises sex workers who are often cast outside the rights-based discourses that characterise South Africa's post-apartheid democracy. In order to address this problem, this study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators to sex workers' accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRHC), gaps in the current service offerings relating to sex worker's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and the general experiences of SRHC amongst 11 female sex workers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with these sex workers, who were based in Johannesburg City Deep. The resultant data were transcribed and subjected to a thematic analysis. The study shows that various structural and individual level barriers are perceived to prevent access to SRH. In particular, the analysis suggests that the disease-specific focus on sex worker-specific projects poses a barrier to sex workers' accessing a complete range of SRHC services. Violence enacted by healthcare professionals, police and clients fuelled a lack of trust in the healthcare sector and displaced the participants from their basic human rights. It is also worrying that religion posed a threat to effective SRHC because some religious discourses label sex workers as sinners who are perceived to be excluded from forgiveness and healing. Finally, motherhood proved to be a point at which the participants actively managed their health and engaged with and in broad-based SRHC. Participants frequently only sought SRHC at the point at which an ailment affected their livelihood and ability to provide for a family. Taken together, these findings seem to show a range of formidable challenges to sex workers' understanding of themselves in a human rights discourse. This study's findings are of particular importance to rethinking the legislation that criminalises sex work, as well as healthcare initiatives geared both towards sex workers and women in general. Details: Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand, 2012. 160p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed November 11, 2013 at: http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/13033/COETZEE%20DISSERTATION%20FEBRUARY%202013%20(9711129v)%20FINAL%20SUBMISSION%20WITH%20REVISIONS%20V1.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Health Care Shelf Number: 131624 |
Author: Schonteich, Martin Title: Strengthening Prosecutorial Accountability in South Africa Summary: As gatekeepers to the criminal justice system, prosecutors are its most powerful officials. Prosecutors considerable discretion about whom to charge and for which crimes affects the lives and fate of thousands of criminal suspects, and the safety and security of all citizens. Yet, in South Africa, no dedicated oversight and accountability mechanism scrutinises the activities of the countrys prosecutors. Constructive oversight can assist the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to enhance both its performance and public confidence in its work. The paper reviews a number of prosecutorial accountability mechanisms drawing on real-world examples. These mechanisms are assessed and their applicability to the South African context is critically explored. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 255: Accessed April 24, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper255.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems Shelf Number: 132164 |
Author: Shahrokh, Thea Title: Agency and Citizenship in a Context of Gender-based Violence Summary: Many initiatives and approaches to addressing violence, particularly urban violence, tend to focus on security sector reform and policing, infrastructure and livelihoods. The role of citizens living in slums, informal settlements and housing estates in acting to stop violence and promoting peaceful relations is less understood and supported. In the urban context, violence is often a means of getting access to scarce resources (such as employment), political power, as well as enforcing discriminatory social norms such as those surrounding gender, age, race, religion and ethnicity. The focus of this pilot is to understand how a sense of democratic citizenship and the ability to act on that citizenship at the local level can contribute to reducing different types of urban violence and promote security, and how becoming an activist against violence can contribute to constructing a sense of citizenship. The case study for this analysis is based in the informal settlement of Khayelitsha, Cape Town, and focuses on community activism against gender-based violence. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2014. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: IDS Evidence Report 73: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/3727/ER73%20Agency%20and%20Citizenship%20in%20a%20Context%20of%20Gender-Based%20Violence.pdf?sequence=5 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gender-Based Violence Shelf Number: 132519 |
Author: Frowein, Philippa Title: Breaking Out of the Cycle: Sports, Recreation, Education and Culture Centre at the Leeuwkop Juvenile Prison Summary: Economic circumstances in the wake of historical political turbulence have lead to criminal behaviour, and the cyclical nature of criminal patterns. Growing crime rates are a feature of countries around the world, and various governments have attempted to deal with offenders by adopting 'tough on crime' strategies. Nevertheless, crime rates are increasing, and new research has shown that rehabilitation is becoming more relevant than punishment in the fight against recidivism. In the White Paper on Corrections, published in 2005, the Department of Correctional Services identified the actual prison environment as a route cause of crime, calling the prison a "university of crime." Gang violence, rape and intimidation cause prisoners to commit crimes in an attempt to survive. On their release, they have the potential to be damaged individuals who pose a greater threat to society than before their incarceration. The White Paper suggests that rehabilitation of prisoners is the only way to deal with criminal reoffending and The Department of Correctional Services has fully committed to the theory of rehabilitation in its legislation. Unfortunately most of the actual prison buildings in South Africa were designed purely for incarceration and punishment of offenders, and little thought has been given to spaces for rehabilitation. This thesis deals with the retrofit of rehabilitation programme in existing problematic prison infrastructure in an attempt to deal with the high levels of recidivism in South Africa. South African prisoners have the right to sports, recreation, education and culture [SREC] activities, but currently participation is documented at only four percent. The juvenile prisoners at the Leeuwkop Prison Farm form part of the majority of young offenders without good SREC facilities, and it is the aim of this thesis to investigate the culture of Leeuwkop Prison and determine what is needed for both prisoners and prison staff in terms of offering rehabilitation and SREC facilities. This thesis will also focus upon the way in which a new SREC building can be used to integrate prisoners and the public in an attempt to address the stigmas associated with offenders in South Africa. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: University of the Witwatersrand, 2013. 193p. Source: Internet Resource: Master's Essay: Accessed July 28, 2014 at: http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/13088 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Inmates Shelf Number: 132801 |
Author: Taylor, Andrew Title: The Viability of Legalising Trade in Rhino Horn in South Africa Summary: South Africa is facing a major rhino-poaching crisis. In 2011, 448 rhinos were killed by poachers, of which 429 were white rhinos (representing approximately 2.2% of the national population) and 19 were black rhinos (approximately 0.9% of the population). During the first 6 months of 2012, 254 rhinos were killed by poachers: if this rate continues, as many as 508 rhinos may be killed by the end of the year, representing approximately 2.4% of the combined national herd of white and black rhinos. South Africa can currently sustain this rate of poaching because the population growth rate (approximately 6.5% for white rhinos and 5% for black rhinos) is higher than the off-take (legal and illegal), but if poaching continues to escalate, a tipping point may eventually be reached forcing the population into decline for the first time in 50-100 years. This would reverse the hard won achievements of South African conservationists responsible for one of the greatest conservation success stories ever seen in large mammals. The driver for the illegal killing is a persistent demand for rhino horn from Asia, where it is used mainly for medicinal purposes. This demand cannot be met by legal supplies because international trade in rhino horn was banned by CITES in 1977 in response to long-term, high levels of rhino poaching that were threatening to push all rhino species to extinction. Although South Africa continued to allow legal trade of rhino horn within its borders after the international ban, this did not allow for the legal export of horn. Sometime after the year 2000, however, it is alleged that Asian nationals bought rhino horn through the legal internal permitting system, either directly from private rhino owners or indirectly through intermediaries, and then exported the horn illegally out of the country. When this fraudulent activity was suspected, the South African government placed a national moratorium on trade in rhino horn (Government Gazette No. 31899, Notice No. 148, 13 February 2009) in an attempt to stop it. The timing of the implementation of the national moratorium coincided with the on-going surge in the rhino poaching in South Africa, leading some observers to suggest that the moratorium had contributed towards, or even caused, the crisis. At a Rhino Summit in October 2010, hosted by the then Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, the Department of Environmental Affairs agreed to commission a feasibility study to determine the viability of the legalisation of the trade in rhino horn in South Africa. The study had to do the following: a) Analyse trends in local (national) trade in rhino horn prior to the moratorium that came into effect in February 2009; b) Analyse trends in incidences of illegal killing prior to and subsequent to the national moratorium; c) Assess the potential national market for rhino horn; d) Determine security risks relating to the lifting of the moratorium; e) Identify measures to be put in place to address the risks identified above, including a response strategy; f) Recommend systems to be developed and implemented to regulate national trade in rhino horn, including a tracking and monitoring system; g) Identify the legal requirements to be addressed in terms of a national trade system; h) Identify means to ensure rhino horn traded nationally does not enter international trade; i) Analyse similar situations in other countries and advice on best practices and interventions made in those countries. Details: Pretoria: South Africa Department of Environmental Affairs, 2014. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/139/1398153747.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 133024 |
Author: Goredema, Charles Title: Mapping crime networks in Southern Africa: A new approach Summary: Current perceptions of organised crime are too rigid and narrow. The definition of organised crime should consider it as comprising a set of core activities and should also encompass the ancillary acts of those who assist core actors. To gather information on the reach of criminal networks and establish how they sustain themselves, the authorities should perceive such networks as organisations involved in business. Furthermore, organised crime is transnational and market based, but attempts to deal with it are constrained by state sovereignty. The effective disruption of crime networks should be informed by a network analysis that transcends national borders, while legal procedures should be harmonised across such borders. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 58: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief58_IDRC.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Analysis Shelf Number: 133047 |
Author: Tamarkin, Eric Title: Cybercrime: A complex problem requiring a multi-faceted response Summary: The Internet has revolutionised the way in which businesses, government and the public interact. However, criminal actors have used this to their advantage. Given reports that Africa is becoming a cybercrime safe harbour, this problem could hamper economic growth, foreign investment and security. African policymakers need a cogent response to cybercrime, which is informed by a clear understanding of emerging threats and how other countries have formed strategies in response. In the absence of a universal definition of cybercrime, the term is often confused with other types of malevolent cyber activity and it is difficult to quantify its financial impact worldwide. A recent study estimated the cost of malicious cyber activity to the global economy to be as high as US$1 trillion. Recent high-profile cyber attacks and emerging threats such as attacks on mobile technologies demonstrate that cybercrime is an urgent issue for policymakers. In devising a strategy to combat cybercrime, countries on the continent should adopt a multi-layered approach. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 51: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief51Feb14.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Computer Crimes Shelf Number: 133048 |
Author: Goga, Khalil Title: Cape Town's protection rackets: A study of violence and control Summary: This paper examines protection racketeering in Cape Town, primarily in the central business district (CBD) and on the Cape Flats. While significant security initiatives have been undertaken in the citys CBD since 1999, protection racketeering still flourishes. This suggests that it is more than a mere reflection of deficiencies in state capacity, and that other factors should also be taken into account. This paper explains protection racketeering and contextualises its development in Cape Town. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 259: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper259_IDRC.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crimes Against Businesses Shelf Number: 133049 |
Author: Diallo, Ismaila Title: A profile of crime markets in Dakar Summary: Several criminal markets - ranging from drug trafficking to human trafficking, piracy and counterfeiting, trafficking of pharmaceuticals, cybercrime and money laundering - can be found in Dakar, Senegal. This paper profiles those criminal markets currently active in the city and its suburbs, analyzing their structures, operations and transnational dimensions. The expansion of these criminal markets is a matter of considerable concern for West Africa's economic and social development. In every case, 'regardless of the criminal market... the common denominator is always exploitation for profit. This exploitation ultimately affects the entire country: its people and institutions; its' economic prosperity; and its social fabric'. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 264: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper264.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Counterfeit Medicines Shelf Number: 133050 |
Author: Goga, Khalil Title: The illegal abalone trade in the Western Cape Summary: This case study provides the context in which the abalone trade in South Africa occurs, describes the various stages of the trade and analyses the impact of the illegal trade on governance. The community of Hout Bay was chosen as it appears to typify the trade across the Western Cape. The report concludes that criminal governance in the abalone trade takes various forms. These include the marginalised turning to the informal economy; both abalone wholesalers and gangsters developing a level of power over a region that renders them parallel sources of authority; the corruption and co-opting of state officials; and, arguably, the state's reliance on the seizure of poached abalone. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 261: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper261.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Abalone Shelf Number: 133051 |
Author: Goredema, Charles Title: Crime networks and governance in Cape Town: the quest for enlightened responses Summary: The state cannot exercise its authority in many areas of Cape Town where organised crime wields significant power, has capitalised on economic opportunities, and can manipulate and corrupt the state. Solutions to eradicate organised criminal networks generally do not acknowledge the underlying context that sustains them and also stress stronger policing and repression, while paying insufficient attention to deficiencies in other state apacities. State interventions need to be more holistic, more carefully considered and should acknowledge that much organised crime reflects a dysfunctional society in Cape Town. Without an overarching strategy of reform, organised crime will continue to plague affected communities. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 262: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper262.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Networks Shelf Number: 133053 |
Author: Bosilong, Kgomotso Pearl Title: Monitoring and evaluation for crime prevention: the 16 days of no violence against women and children campaign Summary: South Africa has the highest levels of violent crime in the world and is home to high levels of violence against women and children. In response to the challenge imposed by the high level of crime and violence, the South African Government initiated the development of the National Crime Prevention Strategy(NCPS). One of the goals of the NCPS is to identify and implement programmes to prevent crime and to support, protect and empower victims of crime and violence, with special focus on women and children. Responding to the international call to prevent and act against women and child abuse and within the ambit of the NCPS, the 16 Days of No Violence against Women and Children Campaign (referred to as the 16 Days Campaign in this research) was established in1999. The main aim of the 16 Days Campaign is to generate an increased awareness of the negative impact of crime and violence on women and children thus contributing to the prevention of crime and violence against women and children. The first impact assessment of the 16 Days Campaign was undertaken by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2009. The CSIR report states that the 16 Days Campaign has not yet showed a positive impact due to the lack of proper planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system tofacilitate the assessment of its impact. The majority of Government departments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that participated in this research (99%) do not know the tools used to monitor and evaluate the 16 Days Campaign. Each department or participating NGO works in silos and does not share good practice on M&E of the 16 Days Campaign, rendering planning, implementation inadequate and subsequently M&E inconsistent. This research demonstrates that the GCIS Tracker Survey and Exit Reports are not effective M&E Tools for the 16 Days Campaign. It proposes a iii comprehensive M&E Framework based on the insight from the literature review, good practice and inputs from participants. The M&E Framework facilitates the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment of the 16 Days Campaign. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, 2013. 85p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed August 25, 2014 at: http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/13331/Final%20Masters%20Research%20report%202013.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 133141 |
Author: van Rooi, Wildo Title: The Weblight-District : a study of how women use the internet to work independently as sex workers, their investments in this kind of work, and the challenges this poses Summary: One of the characteristics of discourses about people who are marginalised such as sex workers, in many societies, is the way they are rendered through these very discourses as "Other‟ through, for example, forms of generalisation and homogenisation, attributions of immorality and infantilisation, which construct sex workers as bad or as helpless victims with little or no agency. In opposition to these discourses, my research is primarily concerned with advancing the voices of sex workers engaged in particular contemporary forms of sex work made possible by the access to the internet, and exploring with them how they construct and experience sex work: how they present and identify themselves. A qualitative, netnographic methodology influenced by grounded theory was employed, drawing extensively on semi-structured interviews with 15 independent escorts who advertise on a South African escorting website, referred to as Redlace.com. Content analysis of this website provided an additional source of data. The construction of the sex worker as someone who is simply controlled and exploited by others and who has no mind of her or his own, I found, was very much at odds with the manner through which the independent escorts in my study presented themselves. As I started conducting the interviews, I discovered that even the term "sex worker‟, which I had always understood as non-judgmental, was considered inappropriate and pejorative by most of the women in my study. In my discussion, I illustrate how, by soliciting clients via the internet, escorts are able to gain control over their working conditions allowing them to work independently and anonymously, which in turn renders them less publicly visible compared to other sex workers who solicit clients form the street. While I identify various continuities and discontinuities between independent escorting and other forms of sex work, the most profound and unanticipated difference was how some independent escorts whose independence and dissociation from organised forms of sex work in institutions such as brothels or escorts, placed them in a position where they were able to, and wanted to, present the "girlfriend experience‟. Herein the independent escorts performed and/or became like girlfriends offering sex, but sex mediated by "dating‟, and expressions of care and warmth symbolically associated with developing girlfriend/boyfriend relations. Details: Stellenbosch, South Africa: Stellenbosch University, 2014. 142p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 9, 2014 at: http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/86197 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Internet Shelf Number: 133192 |
Author: Albertse, Lizelle Title: Gang members' experiences of victimization and perpetration of rape in prison Summary: People outside of prison tend to imagine sex in prison as violent gang attacks on defenceless individuals, but in actual fact, sex in prison is more complicated than the isolated gang rapes that take place. For the purpose of this study, the researcher followed the qualitative research approach from a constructivist perspective to understand how participants portrayed or constructed their experiences of victimization and/or perpetration of rape. The population of the study was members of the '28' prison gang with a history of sexual perpetration in prison. Participants for the study were male, released from prison, ages between 25 and 45 years of age. The researcher made use of purposive sampling in the selection of 15 participants. Data was collected through in depth, face to face interviews starting with open ended questions and probing for in depth experiences, interpretations and meanings. Data was analyzed according to Creswell's (1998:140) guidelines for qualitative data analysis and was verified as suggested by Creswell (1998:201). In order to explore the social context that might have influenced their constructions of experiences, the following question themes were identified: - Participant's experiences of family life - Participant's experiences of their involvement in crime - Participant's gang involvement in Corrective Institutions - Participant's experiences of forced sex in prison - Consequences of rape in prison after release Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of the Western Cape, 2007. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://etd.uwc.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11394/2214/Albertse_MA_2007.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2007 Country: South Africa Keywords: Prison Gangs Shelf Number: 133455 |
Author: KPMG Title: Too costly to ignore - the economic impact of gender-based violence in South Africa Summary: It is well documented that South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world. But until now what has been less well documented is the economic cost to society of these horrific and unacceptable levels of violence. We see the human cost of gender-based violence every day, but having a calculation of the national economic cost will serve as an important tool in our policy and advocacy efforts to end the suffering and injustice of this violence on a national level. We now know that, using a conservative estimate, gender-based violence costs South Africa between R28.4 billion and R42.4 billion per year - or between 0.9% and 1.3% of GDP annually. This report thus represents an important contribution to the fight against gender-based violence in South Africa Details: Johannesburg: KPMG South Africa, 2014. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://www.kpmg.com/ZA/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/General-Industries-Publications/Documents/Too%20costly%20to%20ignore-Violence%20against%20women%20in%20SA.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 133818 |
Author: Benson, Bernadine Carol Title: Addressing heritage crime in Gauteng, South Africa : an integrative exposition Summary: This research explored, described and explained the nature and the extent of heritage crime as it manifested in the Gauteng Province of South Africa for the period 2006-2010. Gauteng was selected since it is deemed to be the hub of the legal trade. An operational definition of heritage objects was drafted for this study as objects of artistic, cultural, historic or archaeological value regardless of age, housed in or curated by museums or galleries within Gauteng, and which are both tangible and moveable. Heritage crime for the purpose of this study was the illegal removal of any heritage object from a museum or gallery. The annual crime statistics released by the South African Police Services (SAPS) contain no reference to heritage crime of any sort. Therefore this research attempted to quantify the incidents of thefts experienced by museums and galleries in Gauteng for the period 2006-2010. Using a mixed method approach, data were gathered by qualitative and quantitative surveys. A total of 28 qualitative interviews were conducted. These data were integrated with the quantitative data which permitted the achievement of the strategic aims set out for this research. The following aims were achieved: The roles and responsibilities of the custodians of the national estate were clarified; International conventions designed to assist in combating crime perpetrated against cultural property were discussed; The national legislation which guides the management, preservation and protection of heritage objects as well as the trade therein within South Africa was examined; Policing agencies at the forefront of combating heritage crime were interviewed and international best practices were identified and compared with that which the SAPS are doing to address crime of this nature. These police agencies are situated in Italy, the United Kingdom, the USA and Germany; The dynamics of the reported incidents of loss/theft were examined. Several anomalies were identified. Among these are the identification of the typologies of items being targeted and the possible identification of the type of thief perpetrating these crimes. Through analysis of incidents it was also possible to highlight that the majority of thefts occur during the time when museums and galleries are open and that the items stolen are usually on open display (not affixed to the surface and not behind a barrier of any sort). Through the analysis of the data for legal trade and the theft incidents it was possible to design a Framework depicting the interface between the legal and illegal markets for trade in heritage objects. The research also provides law enforcement with minimum guidelines to ensure that crimes of this nature are addressed more effectively Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2013. 345p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/13055/Phd%20Benson%20FINAL%20cover%20and%20body%20after%20exam%202013-08-26.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Art Theft (South Africa) Shelf Number: 133905 |
Author: De Greef, Kimon Title: South Africa's illicit abalone trade: An updated overview and knowledge gap analysis Summary: More than two decades of unsustainable harvesting has had damaging, and potentially irreversible, consequences for South Africa's formerly abundant stocks of the endemic abalone, Haliotis midae. Efforts to combat the illegal trade, including listing the species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix III in 2007, conducting government-led enforcement operations, establishing designated environmental courts to deal with abalone poachers, and developing more inclusive fisheries policies have been largely unsuccessful. This has been due to a lack of adequate resources and long standing socio-political grievances between small-scale-fishermen and the post-apartheid government. In 2010, H. midae was delisted from CITES Appendix III, despite increased levels of illegal poaching, due to difficulties in implementation according to the South African government. Organized criminal syndicates have taken advantage of this socio-political dynamic mentioned above to recruit poachers from local communities who feel disenfranchised by government policy and entitled to extract the easily harvested resource. Furthermore, evidence suggests that poachers are sometimes paid for service in illegal drugs, adding another complex layer of social challenges and addiction along the coast of South Africa. Trade data analysis on abalone reveals a complex network that links poaching to syndicated trade through various countries, some of them landlocked, across southern Africa before eventually reaching Asian markets. Calls for radical governance reform have been made, but change is slow. Nevertheless, there is value in profiling the illegal trade as fully as possible, to draw lessons for dealing with poaching and other forms of wildlife crime more effectively in the future. This briefing paper is a synthesis of current knowledge about South Africa's illegal abalone fishery, drawing on both available literature and unpublished research. The briefing paper is not exhaustive, but offers a comprehensive and up to date overview of the history, drivers, impacts and modus operandi of this country's illicit abalone trade. By profiling the current situation holistically, this briefing paper aims to inform stakeholders and stimulate discussion on recommended solutions and further areas of study as described in Section 4. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2014 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/USAID%20W-TRAPS%20Abalone%20Briefing%20Paper_Final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Abalone Shelf Number: 133738 |
Author: Human Sciences Research Council Title: Evaluation of the implementation of the Jo'burg City Safety Strategy (JCSS) Summary: This evaluation has sought to take into account the complex and challenging environment in which all new strategies have to be implemented in the South African context in its assessment of the implementation of the Jo'burg City Safety Strategy (JCSS). The study has therefore adopted a qualitative approach to assessment which combines interviews with key stakeholders, focus groups with implementing agents, documentary evidence provided by the JCSP Office and a literature review. The HSRC conducted a total of 15 interviews with a range of stakeholders involved in the implementation of the JCSS who were identified by the Jo'burg City Safety programme office. In addition two focus groups were held with Strategy implementers in specific geographical focus areas (GFAs), namely Norwood/Orange Grove and Moroka in Soweto, in order to understand the implementation of the strategy at a local level. These focus groups provided useful insights that were integrated into a broader analysis of the approach and methodology used in the GFAs, as specified in the terms of reference. In addition, the focus groups as well as interviews contributed to the section of the report on cross-cutting themes. Every effort was made to systematically incorporate a range of stakeholders who might be able to shed light on the implementation of the Strategy . The HSRC also studied the background documentary material and records provided by the Jo'burg City programme office in order to inform and complement the qualitative interviews. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Human Sciences Research Council, 2013. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 27, 2014 at: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/research-data/view/6484 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention (South Africa) Shelf Number: 133823 |
Author: Vetten, Lisa Title: Domestic violence in South Africa Summary: South Africa's response to domestic violence is of relatively recent origin, with 1993 marking both the introduction of the first legal remedy to address domestic violence, and the recognition of marital rape as a crime. This first attempt to deal with domestic violence through legislation, namely the Prevention of Family Violence Act, was further developed and strengthened through the Domestic Violence Act of 1998 (DVA), which is widely considered one of the more progressive examples of such legislation internationally. This policy brief describes the extent and nature of domestic violence in South Africa and considers aspects of the implementation of the DVA, the state's most prominent intervention in the problem of domestic violence. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 71: Accessed November 13, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief71.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 134074 |
Author: Vetten, Lisa Title: Rape and other forms of sexual violence in South Africa Summary: The high rate of rape and other forms of sexual violence in South Africa has sparked concern and outrage, leading to law reform, parliamentary debates, marches and campaigns. It has also led to a range of policy interventions intended to reduce the number of people who fall victim to these crimes. This policy brief summarises available information about the nature and extent of sexual violence in South Africa. It also describes some efforts to address the problem. However, it does not focus extensively on child sexual abuse - this being a topic in its own right. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 72: Accessed November 13, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief72.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Rape (South Africa) Shelf Number: 134075 |
Author: Bruce, David Title: Political Killings in South Africa: The Ultimate Intimidation Summary: This policy brief provides a summary of current information on the nature and extent of the problem of political killings in South Africa. The province of KwaZulu-Natal accounts for the overwhelming majority of these killings and in recent years these have been increasingly localised to specific areas, such as the Umtshezi (Estcourt) municipal area, Ulundi and KwaMashu. Though Mpumalanga was also associated with these killings, there appear not to have been any in the province since early 2011. Whereas during the apartheid period political killings took place in a diversity of circumstances, they now tend to be targeted assassinations, though some also occur in other circumstances. Available information suggests that less than 10% of these killings have resulted in convictions. There is a need for in-depth research and a better understanding both of the obstacles to a more effective criminal justice response, as well as why the problem continues. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 64: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief64.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Assassinations (South Africa) Shelf Number: 134125 |
Author: Artz, Lillian Title: Hard Time(s): Women's Pathways to Crime and Incarceration Summary: Summary This section provides an overview of key research findings from the "Pathways to Crime: Women in Conflict with the Law" project. For background on the project and the research methodology, please refer to the Introduction to the research report (entitled: "Hard Time(s): Women's Pathways to Crime and Incarceration, pages 1-18). The second and third sections of the research report describe the research context. The first of these sections, entitled Pre-Interview Survey of Women in Prison (pp. 19-27), describes the group of women that participated in our research (our sample), based on the surveys that each woman completed before their in-depth interview. The second provides an overview of the context of incarceration (pp. 31-49) in which the research took place. The information presented in these two sections is briefly summarised, followed by summations of our research findings. Research findings are primarily found in six sections of the report, as follows: - Context Matters: Families, Relationships & Traumatic Events - Poverty and Crime - History of Abuse - Domestic Violence - Caretaking and Responsibility - Addiction These findings are detailed and nuanced, and cannot be reduced to statistical data. This Addendum does its best to neatly summarise the findings without overly simplifying them. For a deeper understanding of the complexity of these issues, please refer to the complete research report. The final section of the research report contains a discussion of the findings, focusing on the gendered nature of crime and incarceration in South Africa as it emerges from this research. An overview of this discussion is provided in the final section of this Addendum. Details: Cape Town: Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit, University of Cape Town, 2012. 277p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 8, 2014 at: http://www.ghjru.uct.ac.za/pdf/hard_times.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Female Crime Shelf Number: 134285 |
Author: Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) Title: Estimating the Size of the Sex Worker Population in South Africa, 2013 Summary: The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) is tasked with coordinating the country's response to HIV, TB and STIs across all government departments and civil society sectors, monitoring the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) aimed at responding to these three epidemics; as well as mobilising resources for the effective functioning of SANAC and the implementation of the NSP. SANAC recognises that, like the rest of the South African population where 5.6 million people are estimated to be living with HIV, sex workers are at a much higher risk of HIV, TB and STIs compared to the general population. As a result, it is important for our country to have programmes specifically tailor-made to target the health needs of this sector of society. In this light, the SANAC Secretariat is working with the SANAC Sex Worker Sector and numerous organisations providing advocacy and services for sex workers to establish a national programme for HIV prevention among sex workers and their clients and partners. Sex workers are highly vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to multiple factors, including large numbers of sex partners, unsafe working conditions and barriers to the negotiation of consistent condom use. Moreover, sex workers often have little control over these factors because of social marginalisation and the restricted legal framework under which they are forced to work. Alcohol, drug use and violence further exacerbate their vulnerability and risk. HIV prevalence rates amongst female sex workers are thought to be as high as 59.6%1, compared to 13.3% amongst women in the general population. This calls for an urgent scaled-up, coordinated national HIV prevention programme for sex workers. However, when designing targeted interventions as part of an expanded and comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS, reliable information is required on the size of high-risk population groups such as this one. While South Africa is able to measure the level of risk behaviour and HIV and STI infection in sex workers, there is limited data to give an indication of the absolute size of this sub-population. Recognising this as a limitation, SANAC commissioned a sex worker size estimation study, and the results are presented in this report. The work was carried out by multiple partners under the leadership of the Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Task Force (SWEAT). Up until now, there have been various estimates of the number of sex workers in the country. The inaccuracy of these figures has proven to be a hindrance for programme planning and implementation. No concerted effort had ever been made to estimate the total size of the sex worker population in the country. This survey marks a new chapter in South Africas response to HIV and AIDS. It will provide the government and other stakeholders with data to make evidence-based decisions on how to create an enabling environment for the provision and accessibility of preventive services for sex workers in South Africa. The findings of this sex worker population size estimate will lead to concerted efforts for the design of comprehensive programming, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of targeted intervention programmes. Details: Observatory, South Africa: SWEAT, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 21, 2015 at: http://www.health-e.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Sex-Workers-Size-Estimation-2013.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: HIV (Viruses) Shelf Number: 134431 |
Author: Mathews, Shanaaz Title: South African Child Gauge 2014: Preventing violence against children - breaking the intergenerational cycle' Summary: The South African Child Gauge is published annually by the Childrens Institute, University of Cape Town, to monitor progress towards realising childrens rights. This issue focuses attention on the prevention of violence against children. PART ONE: Children and law reform Part one outlines recent legislative developments affecting children. This issue comments on litigation, law reform and policy developments including Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure, a Constitutional Court ruling on school admissions policies, High Court judgments on school furniture and textbooks, the Traditional Courts Bill, Constitutional Court rulings on consensual sex between adolescents and children who commit sexual offences, an Amendment Act which provides for sexual offences courts; and proposed amendments to the Childrens Act. . PART TWO: Preventing violence against children breaking the intergenerational cycle Part two presents eight essays the first essay describes the extent and primary drivers of violence against children, while the second provides a conceptual framework to inform the design and delivery of prevention programmes. The next two essays focus on the child protection system and address current design and resource challenges. A further three essays focus on violence prevention during three critical stages of childrens development: early childhood, the primary school period and adolescence, while the conclusion considers what is needed to shift from policies and plans to implementation. PART THREE: Children Count the numbers Part three updates a set of key indicators on childrens socio-economic rights and provides commentary on the extent to which these rights have been realised. The indicators are a special subset selected from the website www.childrencount.ci.org.za. Details: Cape Town: Childrens Institute, University of Cape Town, 2014. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 28, 2015 at: http://www.ci.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1122&Itemid=697 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 134442 |
Author: Statistics South Africa Title: Victims of Crime Survey 2013/14 Summary: The concept of a victimisation survey (also known as the International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS)) is well established in South Africa (SA) and internationally. During the past two decades a number of surveys related to crime, crime victims and users of services provided by the safety and security cluster departments have been conducted by various service providers in South Africa. Crime prevention and safety is a high priority of the current government, and beginning with the VOCS 2011, the VOCS series started to be conducted annually by Stats SA. Data collections for VOCS 2011 and VOCS 2012 were conducted from January to March of that year and referred to incidents of crime experienced during the previous year (i.e. from January to December). Since 2013, Stats SA has changed the data collection methodology to continuous data collection. Data collection of the VOCS-2013/14 started in April 2013 and concluded in March 2014 with reference to the crimes that were experienced during the past twelve months i.e. referred to crime experienced as from April 2012 to February 2014 (details under the Technical notes section of the report). The Victims of Crime Survey (VOCS) series is a countrywide household-based survey and has three main objectives: Provide information about the dynamics of crime from the perspective of households and the victims of crime. Explore public perceptions of the activities of the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional services in the prevention of crime and victimisation. Provide complementary data on the level of crime within South Africa (SA) in addition to the statistics published annually by the South African Police Service (SAPS). The VOCS focuses on peoples perceptions and experiences of crime, as well as their views regarding their access to, and effectiveness of the police service and the criminal justice system. Households are also asked about community responses to crime. The survey profiled different aspects that are inherent in the different types of crime, such as the location and timing of the different crimes, the use of weapons and the nature and extent of the violence that takes place. The VOCS 2013/14 is comparable to the previous versions in cases where the questions remained largely unchanged. Details: Pretoria: Statistics South Africa, 2014. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2015 at: http://beta2.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0341/P03412013.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 134539 |
Author: Montesh, Moses Title: Rhino Poaching: A New Form of Organised Crime Summary: African rhinos are suffering a new poaching onslaught for their priced horns. Despite intensified anti- poaching activities, the number of rhinos poached per day has continued to increase since 2008. During 2012, about 668 rhinos were poached while a higher number is projected for 2013. This trend of increased poaching will reverse overall positive rhino population growth in the long-term in South Africa. In response to this problem, a rhino emergency summit comprising of rhino range States' representatives, the private sector, government officials and non-governmental organizations was convened in Nairobi during April 2012. Following this summit, members proposed an integrated framework directed at reducing the demand and supply ratio associated with the use of rhino horn. The framework is envisaged to guide short- as well as medium- to long-term responses by range States directed at reducing the incentives for poaching and ensuring the persistence of rhinos. In this paper, the author will begin by outlining the extent of rhino poaching, the background to rhino poaching, the role of organised crime syndicates in rhino poaching, the demand and supply of rhino horns as well as proposing measures to combat rhino poaching. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, College of Law, 2012. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2015 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=pdfviewer&id=1368077595&folder=136 Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching (South Africa) Shelf Number: 134887 |
Author: Keehn, Emily Title: Evaluation of South Africa's Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services: Assessing its independence, effectiveness and community engagement Summary: The Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services (JICS) is a vital watchdog body that oversees South Africa's correctional system, mandated to inspect and report on the treatment of inmates. The correctional system faces many challenges such as overcrowding, high levels of HIV and Tuberculosis (TB), violence, and short staffing. The mass corruption and administrative struggles of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) that were documented in the 2006 report by the Jali Commission of Inquiry highlighted that the situation was so dire that the Department was arguably no longer governable. Abuse and rights violations remain in South Africa's prisons even though DCS has improved its performance in some respects, for example, by providing access to anti-retrovirals and condoms. The McCallum case, in which Bradley McCallum and a group of inmates in St. Albans prison were physically and sexually assaulted in a manner amounting to torture, and the riots and deaths in Groenpunt and St. Alban's prisons in early 2013, are examples of serious mismanagement and abuses that continue. In order for JICS to be an effective oversight body, it requires institutional independence, and cooperation and support from other public entities, particularly from DCS. JICS currently faces challenges in both these areas. This paper analyses these and other challenges, and explores ways in which the independence and success of JICS can be strengthened, drawing lessons from similar watchdog bodies in South Africa and various other countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Mauritius and Zambia. Certain features of these institutions might serve as examples for how JICS could potentially be restructured to strengthen its ability to carry out its mandate. Lastly, JICS has also been a critical bridge between an often non-transparent correctional system and community organisations, other stakeholders, and the general public. Considering DCS' positioning of inmate rehabilitation as a community responsibility, there is a distinct role for civil society and community organisations to play in supporting JICS. Hence this paper outlines ways in which stakeholders can lend capacity. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Sonke Gender Justice Network, 2013. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2015 at: http://www.genderjustice.org.za/publication/evaluation-of-south-africas-judicial-inspectorate-for-correctional-services/ Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Correctional Administration Shelf Number: 134995 |
Author: Niekerk, Joan van Title: Don't Look Away! Be aware and report the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism. Assessment on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) related Summary: The South African tourism sector has grown significantly in the past 15 years and is now well on the way to achieving its goal of becoming one of the top 20 destinations in the world by 2020. In 2012, over 20 million people travelled in South Africa (including over nine million international visitors and 12.5 million domestic travellers). This significant volume of travel movement brings substantial benefits to South Africa; however, the intersection between children and tourism presents critical risks that must be managed effectively to ensure the safety of children. While tourism is not responsible for crimes against children, there is a clear connection between the tourism industry and the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) around the world. South Africa is not immune. All manifestations of CSEC are occurring in South Africa: child prostitution, child sex trafficking, child pornography and child sex tourism, and tourism infrastructure can often play an inadvertent or intentional role in these crimes against children. It is used as both the mechanism for gaining access to children and the venues in which sex crimes are perpetrated. Offenders use all forms of tourism services, including accommodation, transport, entertainment, travel agency and tour services to facilitate these deplorable sexual crimes against children. While magnitude is unclear, international experiences have demonstrated that the risks of CSEC escalate as tourism continues to grow. Protecting children should be a tourism imperative. But, as tourism continues to grow, the risks to children deepen. It is necessary to understand how CSEC occurs in the tourism sector in order to effectively combat these crimes against children. Equipping tourism professionals with awareness of CSEC is the first step. But awareness is not enough. The tourism industry is ideally placed to mobilise efforts to protect children, and the global experience demonstrates that small to large scale tourism businesses can take useful actions to prevent their industry from being used for the perpetration of sexual crimes against children. It is now essential that suitable reporting tools are provided to enable tourism stakeholders to act quickly when they suspect children are at risk of exploitation. This report reveals that while CSEC is already evident in the South African tourism sector, there exists a solid foundation of child protection services and systems which, with improvement, can be utilised to build an effective safety net for children. In particular, this report examines national reporting mechanisms and proposes a collaborative approach involving tourism stakeholders, NGOs and the government working together to combat these violations against children and build a responsible tourism sector for the future. Details: Freiburg: ECPAT Germany, 2013. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2015 at: http://www.ecpat.net/sites/default/files/2014-02-12%20Report%20CSEC%20South%20Africa%20FINAL_0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Prostitution Shelf Number: 135122 |
Author: Surtees, Rebecca Title: In African waters. The trafficking of Cambodian fishers in South Africa, 2014 Summary: This NEXUS Institute-authored study explores and discusses the experiences of Cambodian men who migrated for work in the fishing industry through a legally registered recruitment agency in Cambodia and then ended up trafficked and exploited on fishing vessels off the coastline of South Africa. While estimates on the number of Cambodian men trafficked as fishers by this recruitment agency differ, what is clear is that hundreds of Cambodians were exploited in this way. This study discusses the trafficking of Cambodian men for fishing out of South Africa and/or in South African waters how the men were recruited and transported, as well as their trafficking experiences at sea. The study also discusses how these trafficked fishers were (or, more commonly, were not) identified as trafficking victims in South Africa and what assistance they did (or did not) receive when they escaped and returned home to Cambodia and sought to (re)integrate into their families and communities. The study, based on the experiences of 31 Cambodian men trafficked for fishing to South Africa between 2010 and 2013, is drawn from in-depth interviews with trafficked fishers and case files, as well as interviews with 42 key informants in Cambodia and South Africa. Details: Geneva, SWIT: International Organization for Migration; Washington, DC: NEXUS Institute, 2014. 196p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2015 at: http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/Nexus_AfricanWaters_web.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Fishermen Shelf Number: 135265 |
Author: Gould, Chandre Title: Positive parenting in South Africa. Why supporting families is key to development Summary: Preventing and reducing violence by supporting parents is critical to national development. This policy brief explains how positive parenting relates to violence prevention and national development, and why the national implementation of evidence-based programmes to support positive parenting is both necessary and achievable. There is a strong body of national and international evidence we can draw on to help us understand what causes violence, as well as a growing body of South African evidence on what works to prevent it. Government has identified the need to intervene early to prevent violence and the Department of Social Development has a strong legal and policy framework around which to grow preventative interventions. Preventing the kinds of violence children experience, and grow up to repeat, requires us as a society to start thinking about how best we can support parents. In this policy brief we outline challenges parents face; the legal and policy framework that mandates interventions to support parents and to sustain the children when we see there are problems; present findings of research that shows the link between parenting and childrens behaviour; and recommend a way forward. Putting in place good, strong interventions based on the best available evidence is vital to national growth and development. This is because children who grow up in warm and attentive families have a much better chance of completing school and developing the required working skills thereafter. An investment in supporting parents may take time to show returns, but the cost benefits as far as health and criminal justice are concerned make this a wise, long-term investment. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2015. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 77: Accessed May 4, 2015 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief77.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Maltreatment Shelf Number: 135496 |
Author: Mabudusha, Sekgologo Angel Title: The Policing of Illegal Squatting in the Greenbelts within Weltevreden Park Area Summary: After South Africa's democratisation in 1994, the areas which had been deemed "only for whites" within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (CoJ) were opened to all citizens. These changes attracted a high in-migration of people seeking better living in the CoJ. This influx not only challenged the provision of employment but also impacted negatively on the availability of land and housing and on the maintenance of safety and security by the police. Lack of accommodation forced immigrants to squat in the open spaces (including in the greenbelts) within the CoJ. A literature review provided an understanding of this problem locally and internationally. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the affected stakeholders. The findings showed that the measures needed to combat the causes of illegal squatting are beyond police control. The involvement of departments such as Human Development, Labour, Home Affairs and Environmental Management is needed for a successful solution to the problem Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2010. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 16, 2015 at: http://oatd.org/oatd/record?record=handle%5C%3A10500%5C%2F3458 Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Homeless Persons Shelf Number: 135679 |
Author: Jules-Macquet, Regan Title: The State of South African Prisons Summary: NICRO has begun a series of publications entitled NICRO Public Education Series. These papers will be made available on the NICRO website at no cost. The purpose of the NICRO Public Education Series is to: Provide accessible material on the South African criminal justice system to the general public Improve the public's understanding of the criminal justice system Many of the publications focusing on the criminal justice sector are academic publications. Many members of the public do not know where to access these publications and find them difficult to read. The purpose of the first paper in the series is to provide an objective and accessible analysis of the prison statistics and trends in South Africa from 2008 till 2012. This paper intends to assist members of the public in improving their understanding of the state of South African prisons and be better informed of prevailing trends. There are 241 active correctional centres across South Africa. Eight are for women only, 13 are for youths and 129 are for men only. 91 accommodate women in a section of the prison. The total capacity of prisons is 118 154 people, with 25 000 places being reserved for people awaiting trial detainees (ATD). The total prison population is 162 162, of which 49 695 (31%) are ATD and 112 467 (69%) are sentenced offenders. Nationally, there is an overcrowding level of 137%. This paper focuses on sentenced offenders. Details: Cape Town: National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO), 2014. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: NICRO Public Education Series: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://www.nicro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Public-Education-Paper-The-State-of-South-African-Prisons-2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Correctional Institutions Shelf Number: 135725 |
Author: Jules-Macquet, Regan Title: Exploring Female Offender Profiles and Social Reintegration Service Delivery Summary: The National Institution of Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO) has been rendering crime prevention and offender reintegration services since 1910. As part of ongoing monitoring and evaluation, NICRO maintains an annual statistics database of people who have been in conflict with the law to whom NICRO has rendered services. Much of the research and programming that is available for offenders focuses on male offenders. This is an inevitable result of the fact that the majority of South African offenders are male. Nevertheless, it is vitally important that closer attention be paid to the situation and specific needs of female offenders. Evidence suggests that while male and female offenders have similar social reintegration needs, they are not identical. It is important that responsive and flexible programming is developed and implemented that meets the needs of female offenders as well as male offenders. This paper focuses on the patterns and dynamics seen amongst 4 810 female offenders receiving NICRO services between 2012 and 2013. This paper explores the demographic profile of female offenders, the comparative dynamics between male and female offenders for both aggressive and sexual offences, and reviews the most common offences found amongst female offenders. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the data for service delivery to female offenders for the purpose of enhancing social reintegration and reducing the likelihood of female recidivism. Details: Cape Town: National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO), 2015. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://www.nicro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Exploring-Female-Offender-Trends-and-Dynamics.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Female Inmates Shelf Number: 135726 |
Author: Jules-Macquet, Regan Title: Exploring Substance Use Among South African Adult And Young Offenders (2015) Summary: Substance use and abuse is associated with crime and offending behaviour, as well as with generally at risk behaviour. Substance use is also associated with fatal injuries resulting from violence, road accidents, victimisation and poor societal outcomes in general. This paper reviews data extracted from the 2012 - 2013 service statistics from the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO). The dataset is comprised of adults and children in conflict with the law who were referred for offender social reintegrating services. The dataset contains entries for 19 509 offenders, of which 7 190 (36.85%) indicated substance use either through self-reporting or a drug test. This paper explores the various dynamics that are presented in this group regarding, nature and frequency of substance use, types of offences committed, as well as general demographic information such as age, race and sex. The paper concludes with several recommendations regarding the implications of the data for offender social reintegration and crime prevention practice in South Africa. Details: Cape Town: National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO), 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://www.nicro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Exploring-substance-use-among-adult-and-young-offenders-Revised-Nov-2014.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Drug Abuse and Crime Shelf Number: 135727 |
Author: Jules-Macquet, Regan Title: Non-Custodial Sentencing: A Service Analysis and Four Case Studies Summary: The purpose of the descriptive research is as follows: To develop insight into the types of offenders referred for non-custodial sentencing To describe the clients experience of services received in NICRO To provide a description of the general profile of offenders sentenced to NCS in NICRO Through the use of case studies, illustrate the risk factors identified as relevant to the clients sentenced to NCS and the implications for successful reintegration This research will be of interest to criminal justice practitioners who wish to understand the dynamics and trends of NCS in South Africa. The research report consists of two sections: A statistical profile of NCS offenders across the NCS service Four detailed case studies of NCS offenders Details: Cape Town: National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO), 2014. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://www.nicro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Final-Version-of-Case-Study-Research-2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Alternatives to Incarceration Shelf Number: 135728 |
Author: South African Institute of Race Relations Title: Broken Blue Line 2: The Involvement of the South African Police Service in Serious and Violent Crime in South Africa Summary: This is the second report of the Broken Blue Line project - the first having been published by the IRR in 2011. As in 2011 this 2015 report examines the extent to which the police are involved in perpetrating criminal violence. There should be no need for such a report as the police should be our primary line of defence against criminal violence. However, as you will read, in too many cases that line of defence has broken down and the supposed defenders have become perpetrators. As long as the police service remains a home to violent criminals it is very unlikely that South Africa will experience a sustained and significant decline in serious and violent crime. It is essential therefore that pressure be brought to bear on political authorities to take police criminality seriously and deal with it effectively. Creating such pressure is also one of the most effective means by which South Africa can support the efforts of hard working and committed members of the police service. Details: Johannesburg: IRR, 2015. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://irr.org.za/reports-and-publications/occasional-reports/files/broken-blue-line-2-february-2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Corruption Shelf Number: 135732 |
Author: Davies, Philip Title: Why is crime In South Africa so violent?: Rapid evidence assessment Summary: Political-Historical Factors South Africa's colonial and apartheid legacy is said to have given way to the 'normalisation' of violence, in which violence is seen as an acceptable means of problem solving and resolving conflict. The policing and justice system of South Africa is also seen as having led to a mistrust of the rule of law and authorities, and to some vigilantism and summary justice. Environmental factors Fractured families, poor socialisation, harsh and inconsistent discipline, physical and emotional abuse, and inadequate limit-setting are contributing factors to why crime in South Africa is so violent. So too are gangs that use violence, guns and other weapons to acquire goods, opportunities, and a sense of identity and self-worth. The misuse of alcohol and other drugs also increases the level of violence in criminal activity. Social attitudes and cultural values about gender condone and reinforce abusive practices against women. Individual Factors The age (younger), gender (males) and educational background (low achievement) of criminals are strongly associated with violent behaviour and violent crime. So too are certain psychological profiles and some psychiatric conditions. Poverty, unemployment inequality and social exclusion also contribute to South Africa's burden of violence, but are inseparably related to other key factors (political-historical, environmental and individual). Social Distribution of Violence Violent crime is not uniform across South Africa. The Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal have the highest rates of homicides, and Gauteng has the highest rates of car and truck hijacking and robberies. Affluent areas of South Africa experience more violent property crime, whilst poorer communities have more domestic violence, male-male assaults, murder and rape. Violent crime is a concern for Black and White South Africans, and the concerns of poorer communities about violence and violent crime need to be given greater attention. Promising Interventions for Reducing Violence and Violent Crime These include interventions at the political, environmental and individual levels, requiring actions that are inter-sectoral, strategic, and evidence-based. Interventions to reduce poverty, increase educational participation and completion, develop work-based skills and job opportunities, and support for programmes that seek to change social attitudes and norms (particularly those related to gender and violence), are suggested. Better control of guns, weapons, alcohol and other drugs are also called for. Multi-modal programmes for violent behaviour seem to be more effective than single component interventions. Inter-personal and social skills training, along with parenting skills training, seem to offer considerable opportunity to reduce violent and other antisocial behaviour. Details: Oxford Evidentia, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://www.pan.org.za/node/8682 Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gun-Related Violence Shelf Number: 129779 |
Author: Faull, Andrew Title: City Blues: Corruption and Corruption Management in South Africa's Metropolitan Police Departments Summary: Police in South Africa are increasingly perceived as being corrupt. Research indicates that corruption is especially prevalent in the area of traffic regulation enforcement which, in the major urban centres, is primarily the responsibility of Metropolitan Police Departments (MPDs). As organs of local municipal councils, MPDs are also responsible for general crime prevention and crowd management, as well as other joint duties with the South African Police Service (SAPS). Metro Police Departments are set up and structured in partnership with local councils under relevant national legislation. From one local council to the next there is scope for considerable variation in approach to matters, including the control of corruption. This paper sheds light on how corruption (or 'integrity management' as it is sometimes called) is approached within each of the six major metro police departments. Section 1 gives background on corruption among metropolitan police generally and reviews relevant survey data. Section 2 gives a detailed profile of each of the departments and their approaches to corruption management. The last section sums up and compares the various approaches to controlling corruption and offers suggestions on how this could be improved. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 170: Accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://dspace.africaportal.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/31193/1/PAPER170.pdf?1 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Accountability Shelf Number: 135877 |
Author: Williams, Vivienne Title: Bones of Contention: An Assessment of the South African Trade in African Lion Panthera leo Bones and other Body Parts Summary: Lions are listed in Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which means international trade in live animals or body parts can only take place under a strictly controlled permit system. Prior to 2008, the only record of South Africa issuing CITES permits to export Lion skeletons was for three units to Denmark in 2001. However, Lion bone exports from South Africa have increased dramatically in recent years. From 2008 to 2011, the official number of skeletons legally exported with CITES permits totalled 1160 skeletons (about 10.8 tonnes on bones), 573 of them in 2011 alone, with 91% of them destined for Lao PDR. The North West, Free State and Eastern Cape, all home almost exclusively to captive-bred Lions, were the only provinces to issue export permits. Not all Lion bone trade in South Africa has been legal, however. In 2009, a Vietnamese national was arrested and later deported for being in possession of Lion parts without permits, while in June 2011 two Thai men were arrested after being found with 59 Lions bones. "The trophy hunting industry..is the main source of carcasses once the trophy hunter has taken the skin and skull," say the report's authors. Numbers of Lions at breeding facilities in South Africa almost doubled from 2005 to 2013 when around 6188 animals, some 68% of the national total, were in captivity, many destined for the lucrative trophy hunting industry, which generates around USD10.9 million per year. However, the report finds: "there is no economic incentive to farm Lions solely for their bones, especially given the costs involved in raising Lions and the current prices paid for skeletons." Nevertheless, the value of bones generated as a secondary by-product of the trophy hunting industry has allegedly motivated farmers to dig up previously discarded carcasses originating from trophy hunts and captive mortalities and whereas female Lions formerly had little or no trophy hunting value to breeders, the emergence of a market for bones has generated a previously overlooked value. The authors recommend Lion breeding facilities are closely monitored to restrict opportunities for abuse of the system for financial gain. The authors speculate that bone exports to Asia may be connected to Lion bone being used as a substitute for Tiger bone in tonics. In 2005, TRAFFIC found evidence that African Lion bones were an ingredient in "tiger bone strengthening" wine produced in Guilin, China, and distributed in Tiger-shaped bottles, but with Lion bones as an approved ingredient. The authors also note the difficulty of distinguishing Lion from Tiger bones. With more than 280 Tigers captive in South Africa, they recommend DNA spot checks of shipments to verify their origin and also in the report provide some guidance, based on skeletal characteristics, on how to distinguish the two species. The reports also notes the large discrepancies in information on Lions in South Africa: between 2004 and 2010, 2950 Lions were registered as having been hunted there - yet CITES export permits indicate 4088 trophies for the same period, a difference of more than 1100 trophies. Several reasons are proposed to explain the discrepancies, including specimens incorrectly described as trophies and animals not being hunted in the same year as the permits are issued. The authors recommend a number of improvements to recording systems, including development of an integrated national system for issuing permits that can be crosschecked by all enforcement and Customs officials. They also make a pragmatic blanket recommendation that measures currently in place to impede opportunities for illegal activities are strengthened across the entire supply chain from Lion breeding to skeleton exports. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC, 2015. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2015 at: http://www.traffic.org/home/2015/7/16/new-study-throws-light-on-south-africas-lion-bone-trade.html Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 136097 |
Author: Pretorius, William Lyon Title: A Criminological Analysis of Copper Cable Theft in Gauteng Summary: This dissertation focuses on the phenomenon of copper cable theft within the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Data was collected from literature sources as well as from security professionals combating copper theft. There are five primary objectives in this research: 1. To explore and to describe the extent and the impact of copper cable theft. 2. To gain insight into the profile and the modus operandi of the offender. 3. To evaluate current intervention measures used to combat the copper cable theft. 4. To describe the general factors limiting the success of combating copper cable theft. 5. To recommend probable intervention measures with which to combat copper cable theft. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with responsible security officials of victim stakeholder groups in Gauteng. It was established that copper cable theft is currently a very serious crime that deserves both attention and quick intervention before it does irreparable damage to the utility infrastructure of Gauteng, in particular, and in fact to all these infrastructures in South Africa. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2012. 234p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 29, 2015 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/10598/dissertation_pretorius_wl.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Copper Theft Shelf Number: 136239 |
Author: Burton, Patrick Title: School Violence in South Africa: Results of the 2012 National School Violence Study Summary: Ongoing press reports, together with the launch of the 2008 Human Rights Commission report on the Hearings into School-based violence, have highlighted the violent experiences of children in schools throughout South Africa. Until recently there has been no empirical data documenting the extent of school violence. A recent study completed by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP) bridged this gap. The CJCP's National School Violence Study involved 12,794 learners from primary and secondary schools, 264 school principals and 521 educators. The study shows that that 15.3% of children at primary and secondary schools have experienced some form of violence while at school, most commonly threats of violence, assaults and robbery. The experiences of the learners is substantiated by principals, more than four fifths of whom reported incidents of physical violence perpetrated by learners on fellow learners in their school in the preceding year. Equally of concern is the fact that both principals and learners indicated the easy access to alcohol, drugs and weapons within the school. More than half of the secondary school principals reported incidents involving weapons in their schools, and three quarters reported incidents involving drugs or alcohol. One in three secondary school learners know classmates who have been drunk at school, while more than half know learners who smoke dagga at school. However, these startling findings must be contextualized within the family and community environments in which these learners live. One in three primary school, and two in three secondary learners report it is easy to get alcohol in their communities, while two in three secondary school learners think that access to a gun in their communities is easy. Analysis of the research findings also show the strong association between the home environment and violence at school, with one in ten primary school learners reporting parental use of illegal drugs, a similar percentage reporting their caregiver or parent had been in jail, and one in five secondary school learners reporting siblings who had been in jail. These factors, together with learners experience of corporal punishment at home and at school, all impact significantly on the likelihood of violence at school. These experiences attached to school have a profound impact on children, and on their development. Not only are such incidents likely to impact on a child's attachment to school, leading to increased drop-out and truancy rates, low self-confidence and low levels of academic performance, but they are also likely to impact on young people's later vulnerability to violence, as well as the likelihood of their own turning to violence as they grow older. The findings point to the need for an integrated strategy to dealing with school violence, addressing both short-term and longer term change. Immediate measures such as situational prevention in the schools can limit weapons, drugs and alcohol on school grounds, as well as making schools generally safer. However, intensified and expanded Early Childhood Programmes are called for, that offer support to children as well as parents, providing pro-social parenting skills to parents as well as directly addressing learners more direct needs. Concomitantly, local government have a responsibility for cleaning up neighbourhoods around schools, freeing them of illegal liquor outlets and drug merchants, many of whom reportedly sit directly outside school grounds. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2013. 129p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 8, 2015 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/monograph12-school-violence-in-south_africa.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: School Crimes Shelf Number: 136356 |
Author: Salcedo-Albaran, Eduardo Title: Cape Town's underworld: Mapping a protection racket in the central business district Summary: This paper, the first in a series, presents and discusses the characteristics of the structure, actors involved, types of interactions and institutional effects of a criminal network. This case study is focused on security racketeering in Cape Town, South Africa. The analysis is based on data gathered from various sources, predominately media articles covering the period between 2010 and November 2013, and was developed by applying specific protocols of social network analysis. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 270: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper270V2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Networks Shelf Number: 136634 |
Author: Goga, Khalil Title: A network of violence: Mapping a criminal gang network in Cape Town Summary: This study presents and discusses the characteristics of the structure, actors involved and types of interactions of a criminal network formed by a gang operating in Cape Town, South Africa. The analysis is based on data gathered from a case judgment in the Western Cape High Court. The accused group were on trial for a number of crimes, including murder, assault, theft, and malicious damage to property, and were also indicted in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, which criminalises membership of a criminal organisation. This information was processed and analysed by applying specific social network analysis protocols, among other methods. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 271: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper271V2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Networks Shelf Number: 136645 |
Author: Eisenhauer, Simone Title: Managing event places and viewer spaces: Security, surveillance and stakeholder interests at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa Summary: This thesis explores the security risk management and commercial organisation of public urban spaces at the 2010 FIFA World Cup (FWC) in South Africa. Extending knowledge of how commercial interests intersect with security risk management of public urban spaces at sport mega-events, this study examines these concepts in a developing world context. Using a neoliberal theoretical lens and drawing on the concepts of Festivalisation and Disneyisation, the research contributes to academic scholarship in the areas of both sport and event management. This is achieved through a critical examination of security and commercialisation strategies in 'public spaces' at a sport mega-event, namely, public viewing areas (PVAs) and commercial restricted zones (CRZs). The research problem was investigated by means of an inductive interpretive qualitative case study approach. The selected event was the 2010 FWC, and within this event an indepth case study of Cape Town was selected for examination. Multiple sources of evidence included government, management, and media documentation. In addition, semi-structured interviews were drawn upon to generate a narrative of the roles and interests of three key stakeholders (the event owner, event sponsor and event host) in the process of strategically managing PVAs and CRZs. The government's policies, decisions, and actions associated with staging of the 2010 FWC reflected new and exemplary forms of neoliberal urban governance in concert with intensified levels of policing and securitisation. The measures taken to combat ambush marketing were of particular note. FIFA's requirements on the host city facilitated decisions about public and private spaces that redefined public policies and rules. Intensification of spatial and social fragmentation and greater exclusion resulted; in other words, the evidence demonstrates the phenomenon of the 'FIFA-isation' of public space. Rhetoric from event owners and city authorities on the benefits of hosting the FWC claimed intended outcomes, which were the exact opposite of what eventuated. Details: Sydney: University of Technology, Sydney: 2013. 364p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 18, 2015 at: https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/research/bitstream/handle/10453/23538/02whole.pdf?sequence=5 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Public Safety Shelf Number: 136811 |
Author: Mthembu, Nompumelelo Title: Tourism Crime, Safety and Security in the Umhlathuze District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. Summary: Recreation and Tourism as a profession is new in South Africa. In the past not much concern was given to the provision and utilisation of recreation and Tourism facilities for the previously disadvantaged communities. Recreation has not been taken as a significant component of life for Blacks because of the apartheid system that existed. In the recent history of South Africa, recreation facilities were mainly made available to the White population areas, with Black areas and being neglected. As such there has been alienation between communities, tourists and hosts, as well as tourism service providers and tourism authorities. These stakeholders have not successfully tackled tourism problem, and more specifically that of tourism crime, safety and security. The focus of this study was to investigate the tourism crime, safety and security in uMhlathuze District Municipality, with special reference to policy formulation and its practise. The main objectives of this study are the following; - To find out whether the local community understands the importance of tourism crime, safety and security in the study area. - To establish the extent to which tourists feel safe and secure in and around the uMhlathuze District area. - To reveal whether there are adequate policies that address situations of tourism safety and security in the study area. - To investigate the levels to which tourism policies are practiced or implemented in the study area. - To indicate the perceived management of tourism crime, safety and security in the near future for the study area. Data was collected by means of interviews and questionnaires that were administered to 124 participants in uMhlathuze District to establish the state of tourism crime, safety and security, affecting domestic and international tourism. Data analysis was accomplished through using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) computer technique. The method used for analysing information appeared to be effective because clear outcomes of the finding were achieved. The most important findings were that, there are criminal activities that are occurring in the study area and some of these activities are not reported and the policies and practices are not known by the members of the community and some of the tourism officials and authorities. The latter suggests that the local people should be taught about the importance of tourism and the tourist in the study area. It was further discovered that some of the crimes that takes place are done by the local people because they do not understand the importance of the tourists in the study area. The importance of safety and security is not known to them and they are not told about it. The local people needs to be told about the importance of tourism activities that are taking place in the study area and they should be encouraged to participate in the activities that can make them to see how important is the tourism and its resources. Safety and security should be applied in order to protect the study area. It was also discovered that the Umhlathuze tourism association should be a major role in making the policy and practices to be known by everyone in the study area who can promote the safety and security of the tourists in the study area. This is the big challenge that the local government is facing. Since local municipality is the government that is closest to the people and represents the interests of the residents, it is responsible for fulfilling the developmental role (DLG; 1998). Therefore, it is clear that local people should be taught about the importance of tourism activities and to make the tourism policies and practices to be known by every stakeholder that is involved in promoting the safety and security in the study area. Further that the local government needs to play a leading role to ensure that they provides the training to the local community about the safety and security of the tourist in the study area even the destination itself. Details: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: University of Zululand, 2009. 154p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 15, 2015 at: http://uzspace.uzulu.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10530/129/Tourism+Crime,+Safety+&+Security+in+the+Umhlathuze+District+Municipality+-+N+Mthembu.pdf;jsessionid=1C04443006F5DF90CB45CE54F6121373?sequence=1 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Public Safety Shelf Number: 136979 |
Author: Horn, Riana Elizabeth Title: A Pro-Active Approach to Curb Asset Theft at a South African Mine Summary: The South African mining industry has not been shielded from the criminal threat the country faces. In this case study, the nature and extent of asset theft at one of the largest mining companies in South Africa is analysed. The crime prevention strategy adopted by the mine to curb asset theft was studied over a period of five years. This involved a survey of the views of the security managers on the effectiveness of the strategy implemented by the mine. Against the background of the South African Governments broad description of the crime prevention approach adopted by the country, the researcher explored whether it would be practicable to implement an integrated crime prevention strategy encompassing situational, social and law enforcement crime prevention approaches on primary, secondary and tertiary level at the participating mine in order to curb asset theft. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2012. 121p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: http://www.mining-security.org/files/A-PRO-ACTIVE-APPROACH-TO-CURB-ASSET-THEFT-AT-A-SOUTH-AFRICAN-MINE.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Asset Theft Shelf Number: 137043 |
Author: Buonanno, Paolo Title: No-man's-land: The uncertain existence of SAPS specialised investigative units Summary: Since 2012 there has been a surge in serious, violent and syndicated crimes in South Africa. Despite having over 152 000 trained officers, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is not able to carry out its mandate effectively. This is due to the loss of the necessary expertise to undertake proactive intelligence-led investigations. While the SAPS intelligence capacity collapsed under the command of the disgraced Richard Mdluli, much of its investigative capacity was lost between 2000 and 2009, when most specialised investigative units were either closed down or their capacity distributed across selected police stations. This created uncertainty and low morale among members. Specialised units are a necessity given the complexities of the various crimes facing the SAPS. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 283: Accessed November 9, 2015 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper283V2.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Intelligence Shelf Number: 137226 |
Author: Gould, Chandre Title: Beaten Bad: The life stories of violent offenders Summary: In this monograph, readers will meet some of the men who are responsible for violent crime in South Africa. The narratives presented here are based on interviews with men who have been incarcerated for murder, robbery and rape. These accounts show that the foundation for their criminal careers was laid early in their lives and compounded by their experiences of loss, abuse and alienation. Readers are taken on a journey through their lives to understand why crime in South Africa is so violent, and what needs to be done to prevent it. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: ISS, 2015. 144p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph Number 192: Accessed January 13, 2016 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Mono192.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Background Shelf Number: 137575 |
Author: Vigneswaran, Darshan Title: Searching for Reconciliation: Policing, Injustice and Territoriality in Johannesburg Summary: The police force is one of the main instruments that states use to address ethnic and cultural diversity. While migration scholars regard border controls as the archetypal means of dividing populations, the everyday police officer on his or her beat regularly and directly enforces spatial segregation and accentuates differences between community members. This paper studies this phenomenon by using the case study of Johannesburg, a place where segregational policing was taken to its illogical extreme. The paper specifically focuses on the manner in which the legacies of Apartheid are unravelling in the present, and the complex interplay between authoritarian policing traditions and democratic communal resistance. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork of the South African Police Services and Community Policing structures in the Johannesburg inner-city, the paper critically interrogates the dichotomy which tales of historical injustice often draw between oppressor and victim. Instead, honing in on the emergence of new vigilante policing practices, the paper shows how and why actors switch sides, forget past injustices and repeat the sins of the past. Details: Gottingen: Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, 2010. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: MMG Working Paper 10-06: Accessed January 28, 2016 at: http://www.mmg.mpg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/wp/WP_10-06_Vigneswaran_Searching-for-Reconciliation.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Brutality Shelf Number: 137707 |
Author: Sundstrom, Aksel Title: Violence and the Costs of Honesty: Rethinking bureaucrats' choice to take bribes Summary: Explanations for bureaucrats' decisions to take bribes have evolved from accounts of incentives to focusing on expectations of others' behavior. However, there are plausibly more considerations when making such choices in contexts of widespread violence, where refusal to take bribes may be associated with high costs. Yet, current insight into this topic is limited. This article investigates how violence upholds bribery through interviews with South African officials that enforce resource regulations in communities where gangs run poaching operations. The findings suggest that while citizens commonly give bribes to enable rule violations, this is a process of both temptations and threats: officials that do not take bribes face violent intimidations by citizens and corrupt col-leagues. Through reducing direct costs in such settings, bribe taking is partly a strategy of social protection. This suggests that, besides incentives and expectations, administrative reforms may benefit from 'fixing the security' of bureaucrats in violent contexts. Details: Goteborg: QOG, The Quality of Government Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series 2015:2: Accessed February 5, 2016 at: http://qog.pol.gu.se/digitalAssets/1515/1515130_2015_2_sundstro--m.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bribes Shelf Number: 137772 |
Author: Visser, Johannes Gresse Title: The Role of Correctional Supervision in Curbing Overpopulation in Prisons Summary: The aim of this dissertation is to place the phenomenon of the overpopulation of South African prisons in perspective and to rectify the current situation in search of possible solutions. Since 1981, when this phenomenon reached unmanageable proportions, government has made numerous amnesties. This was only a short-term alleviation of the problem due to the high levels of recidivism. Correctional supervision as a sentence option was advocated by both the Lansdowne and Viljoen Commissions, enacted during 1986 and finally implemented during 1991. Initial expectations soon became blurred by factors such as insufficient development programmes and specialised personnel, enormous caseloads and the exclusion of supervision cases from development programmes. This study endeavours to analyse the current application of correctional supervision to determine the stumbling blocks and to create a foundation for new perspectives and possible solutions. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2009. 191p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 2, 2016 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/4725/dissertation_visser_.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Correctional Administration Shelf Number: 138015 |
Author: Walker, Timothy Title: Enhancing maritime domain awareness in Africa Summary: While numerous crimes and threats occur in the African maritime domain, there is also great potential for prosperity. African states are positioning themselves to benefit from the oceans and seas by implementing strategies on continental, regional and national levels. These states should support a culture of information-sharing, since this represents one of the most important ways of facilitating and strengthening maritime cooperation and improving security. In particular, stakeholders must support the establishment of centres to collate, analyse and disseminate information and data in a holistic, transparent and trustworthy manner. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2015. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 79: Accessed March 2, 2016 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief79.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Maritime Crime Shelf Number: 138030 |
Author: Watson, Joy Title: The role of the state in addressing sexual violence: Assessing policing service delivery challenges faced by victims of sexual offences Summary: The focus of this policy paper will be to look at the role of the state in addressing sexual violence in public and private spaces. Specifically, the focus will be on the policy provisions in terms of service delivery to sexual offences victims in terms of policing and health services and how these services are currently being provided. The paper begins by discussing the prevalence of violence against women globally and in South Africa. It then examines the South African state's response to gender-based violence and the gendered nature of the state's response to addressing violence against women. The paper further examines the response of the criminal justice system, and assesses the service delivery challenges faced by victims of sexual offences at the hands of the police and broader criminal justice system, and the intersection of this with healthcare provision. The paper concludes by making recommendations on how to address these challenges. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, 2015. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: APCOF Policy Paper no. 13: Accessed April 13, 2016 at: http://www.apcof.org/files/9762_APCOF_Brief13.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gender-Based Violence Shelf Number: 138648 |
Author: Bruce, David Title: Unfinished Business: The architecture of police accountability in South Africa Summary: The African National Congress that emerged in South Africa after its unbanning in February 1990, the return of its exiled members and 'surfacing' of those who had been operating underground, was a political party with little expertise in the field of policing. But the first formal positions on policing issues that emerged from its 1992 policy conference, articulated in the ANC policy document Ready to govern, gave substantial emphasis to police accountability. Not only did this say that the new police service would be 'accountable to society and the community it serves through its democratically elected institutions' but also that policing should be 'based on community support and participation' and that policing priorities would be 'determined in consultation with the communities they serve'. To some degree these ideas were carried forward. An elaborate architecture of oversight of police was established by means first of the 'interim' Constitution that came into effect on 27 April 1994, and then by the 1995 South African Police Service Act and the 1996 'final' Constitution. Police in South Africa are indeed by law accountable to democratically elected institutions. At first it may also have appeared that direct accountability to communities was to become a central building block of policing in South Africa. Major emphasis was given to the role of Community Police Forums (CPFs) in the 'interim' Constitution, their foremost function described as 'the promotion of accountability of the Service to local communities.' But there was one factor that trumped all others in shaping the structure of control of police that emerged in South Africa. The police had been principal instruments of maintaining apartheid and were seen as potentially a key threat to the transition, particularly if they remained in the hands of regionally powerful groups opposed to full democracy. Police reform, it was understood, needed to take place at a national level. Fearing that 'the devolution of powers to the regions would insulate lower levels from change' the ANC believed that the South African Police 'could only be reformed from the centre'. At a conference in 1992 for instance, one of the key architects of ANC policy on the police argued that a regionalised system of policing 'would lead to jurisdictional problems and inadequate civilian control' and that 'a more centralised force would also ensure that uniform standards could be applied to police conduct'. The ANC's position was thus that a regionalised system of policing 'would be dangerous as it would allow transformation to take place at different speeds across the country and would offer the opportunity for regionally-based political parties to use the police for their own ends'. It therefore resisted any model of government that conceded substantial levels of regional autonomy in relation to the police. This, it feared, would enable regions to resist its transformative agenda, at worst feeding into the danger of regional instability and secession. Ironically, despite the fact that their erstwhile political masters were in favour of a regional system9, senior South African Police (SAP) officials who were involved in discussions over the structure of policing in South Africa were inclined to align themselves with the ANC position, as regionalising the police would undermine their own 'ability to control change'. This paper raises questions about whether the strongly centralised system of governance of police that has emerged in South Africa as a result of decisive influence of these concerns continues to be functional to policing in South Africa. As a result of the process of en masse recruitment over recent years the SAPS now employs over 190 000 people, making it one of the biggest police services in the world. Centralised political control over such a large bureaucracy may have drawbacks such as limiting the potential for responsiveness, innovation or new ideas. In the US for example it is apparent that the highly decentralised system of policing has supported innovation and experimentation and the advancement of policing. This paper is not however concerned to advance the US or any other model of policing governance but to focus on the current architecture of control of policing in South Africa and examine questions about possibilities for strengthening this architecture in such a way as to support a greater degree of flexibility, innovation and responsiveness within the policing system. Details: Cape Town: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF), 2011. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Paper no. 2: Accessed April 14, 2016 at: http://www.apcof.org/files/9437_Brief2Unifnished%20Business.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Accountability Shelf Number: 138667 |
Author: Griffiths, Megan Laura Title: The Illegal Trade in Endangered Animals in Kwazulu-Natal, with an Emphasis on Rhino Poaching Summary: The illegal trade in endangered animals in KwaZulu-Natal, with an emphasis on rhino poaching, is tactically addressed in this dissertation. The aim is to expose the nature and extent of these crimes; the victims, offenders and modus operandi involved; the adjudication of wildlife offences; the causes and consequences concerned; the relevant criminological theories to explain these crimes; and recommendations for prevention. This research intends to examine the contemporary pandemic of rhino poaching in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and offer potential techniques for intervention. Furthermore, one of the main goals of the study is to reveal and enhance the extremely neglected field of conservation criminology. A general disregard by society for the environment, as well as the overall ineffectiveness and corruption of criminal justice and conservation authorities, comes to the fore. The purpose of the research is therefore to suggest possible prevention strategies in order to protect the rights of endangered species. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2015. 273p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 24, 2016 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/146/1461162490.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 139142 |
Author: Van Heerden, Anjelee Title: Drug Trafficking: The Use of South African Drug Mules in Crossborder Smuggling Summary: This study was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of drug trafficking with specific reference as to how South African drug mules are used in cross-border drug smuggling. Through media analysis, semi-structured interviews with drug trafficking experts and a literature study the researcher was able to make findings and recommendations as per the objectives of the study. The objectives of the study included examining how drug mules smuggle drugs across South African borders; what role drug mules play in drug trafficking syndicates and the motivations and reasons why South Africans are increasingly being recruited as drug mules. The researcher also attempted to determine the nature and extent of the drug demand supply in and to South Africa. By making the deduction that drug demand and drug supply are interrelated the researcher was ultimately able to conclude that drug mules will continue to engage in drug smuggling as long as there is a demand for drugs and readily available drug supply routes to and from a county. From the media reports analysed cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin were the drugs most smuggled by South African drug mules. It is also clear from the media reports that cocaine and methamphetamine are smuggled in the largest quantities by South African drug mules. The quantities of heroin found in the possession of South African drug mules were insignificantly small. This contradicts treatment centre data analysed that indicated heroin and methamphetamine users were almost double in numbers in comparison to cocaine users being treated at centres. Most South African drug mules are used to smuggle drugs to the cocaine markets in Europe and South Africa; the cannabis/marijuana (herb) market in Europe; the cannabis (resin) hashish market in Canada and the United States of America; the crystal methamphetamine market in the Far East (largely Japan and Korea) and the heroin market in South Africa. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2014. 174p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 24, 2016 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/19039/dissertation_van_%20heerden_a.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Drug Markets Shelf Number: 139143 |
Author: ECPAT International Title: Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism. Country Specific Report: South Africa Summary: At the First World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) in Stockholm in 1996, governments first recognised the commercial sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (CSECTT) as a global crime of epidemic proportion. Since then, much work has been done by international organisations, governments and tourism stakeholders to combat CSECTT. The increasing cross-border movement of people, consumerism, globalisation and new technologies, however, have enabled CSECTT to evolve and manifest in new forms. Often a high influx of tourists and travellers increases the problem, especially in developing countries where poverty and socio-economic inequalities are persistent. Some African countries are considered emerging tourism destinations for child sexual offenders. It is difficult to obtain statistics or figures on the scale and scope of such violations due to the lack of studies or research as well as the hidden nature of the phenomenon. According to ECPAT International's African network members, South Africa is one of the countries most affected by CSECTT in the African region. ECPAT Germany, in cooperation with Bread for the World and Fair Trade Tourism (FTT), published a report entitled Don't Look Away: Be Aware and Report the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism in December 2013. This assessment of CSECTT, the first of its kind in South Africa, provides an overview of the problem in the country's tourism industry. This report is intended to strengthen the Don't Look Away report and thus enhance efforts to protect children from being sexually exploited by travellers and tourists. As part of the research to develop this supplementing report, key stakeholders from the child protection, public and tourism sectors in five provinces of South Africa were interviewed for their perceptions of the extent of CESCTT in South African tourism as well associated public, private and civil society responses. The report is divided into five sections. The first looks at the methodology used to collect data for the report, while the second section identifies limitations and associated implications for the study and defines and reviews relevant terminology in relation to CSECTT in South Africa. The third section focuses on stakeholders' perceptions and opinions of CSECTT in South Africa. It looks at whether CSECTT is considered by respondents to be an issue, their views on which children are vulnerable to becoming victims of the crime and impressions of potential offenders as well as their opinions on the role that information and communication technology has in aiding CSECTT. The fourth section presents an overview of the level of awareness and opinions of the respondents on services available to protect and assist victims and their perceptions of the relative strengths and weaknesses of current responses to reports of CSECTT, including the role of the criminal justice system. The final section draws conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of this research to improve the protection of children from CSECTT in South Africa. Details: Pretoria: Fair Trade Tourism, 2015. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2016 at: http://globalstudysectt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Country-report-South-Africa.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Prostitution Shelf Number: 139225 |
Author: McKeown, Kathleen Title: Tracking Wildlife Conservation in Southern Africa: Histories of Protected Areas in Gorongosa and Maputaland Summary: In this dissertation, I argue that the development and demarcation of protected areas in southern Africa has not only been a process of defining boundaries but also of defining belonging. I focus specifically on how wildlife has been determined to belong in particular areas and how these animals have been claimed as belonging to individuals, communities, provinces, nations, and regions. I focus on the histories of wildlife conservation in Mozambique and the northern part of KwaZulu Natal, with particular emphasis on Gorongosa and Maputaland during the period from the early 1960s to the late 1990s, a time of great social and political change in both South Africa and Mozambique. I have selected these areas not to propose points of comparison between conservation practices in these neighboring countries, but rather to demonstrate complex continuities, exchanges, and cross-fertilizations. Ideas about wildlife conservation crossed national borders, as did animals, their advocates, and, eventually, protected area boundaries. By employing a transnational perspective on protected area histories, I illustrate and analyze this movement of personnel, non-human animals, and conservation practices between nation-states. By interrogating the scientific knowledge production and policy-making of protected area development, my narrative foregrounds the ways that wildlife has been implicated in and impacted by ideas about where these animals belong and to whom. Conceptions of indigeneity and nativeness, which tie belonging to place, have impacted the territories and scales of protected areas, as well as what (or who) has the right to dwell within their borders. However, these categories of belonging are not inherent to the wildlife species they have been attributed to. Instead, "belonging" is a condition that is made through a complex network of biocultural interactions. It is produced through dynamic constellations of political conditions, cultural values, economic interests, scientific ways of knowing, and animal behavior. Details: Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2015. 290p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 1, 2016 at: http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/175690 Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Wildlife Conservation Shelf Number: 139266 |
Author: Maguranyanga, Brian Title: "Our Battles Also Changed": Transformation and Black Empowerment in South African National Park, 1991-2008 Summary: The dissertation explores transformation of South African National Parks (SANParks), from 1991 to 2008. SANParks organizational "battles also changed" with transition to democracy, which resulted in major political and institutional changes in South Africa. Based on a single case study, with a longitudinal dimension (study period, 1991-2008), the dissertation examines SANParks transformation through multi-disciplinary lens, and analyzes transformation strategies and initiatives related to de-racialization, black empowerment, social justice, and people-oriented conservation. Key informant interviews, archival research (documents), observational methods, and official SANParks' organizational climate survey data set provide the data. Confronted with increasing pressure to address the apartheid legacy, SANParks responded by reforming and advancing broader objectives of "transformation" in an effort to be legitimate and survive in the new South Africa. The dissertation argues that in the context of broader transformations, political and major policy changes, SANParks' initiatives were predicated on "enlightened pragmatism" and recognition that its organizational interests are secured through local socio-economic development and advancement of black empowerment. SANParks executives acknowledged that populist demands and societal expectations of the role and functions of national parks had to be tempered by moderation and pragmatism while transcending narrow conservation interests. In the process, SANParks was compelled by pragmatic reasons and "enlightened self-interests" to advance socio-economic initiatives that focus on historically disadvantaged communities living adjacent to national parks. It therefore focused its attention on aligning organizational interests with broader goals of transformation, black empowerment, and local socio-economic development in South Africa while keeping a big part of its conservation agenda and structure more or less intact. SANParks leaders' transcended the impasse between the narrow conservation mandate and social issues by balancing strategic objectives against situational contingencies. Such "enlightened pragmatism" enabled SANParks to mobilize resources and socio-political support for transformation initiatives. The dissertation highlights pragmatism and relativity of transformational choices, strategic policies and approaches that influenced the trajectory of SANParks transformation, which was informed by conditions on the ground - powerful ideational, political, institutional, and economic forces. Details: Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, 2009. 222p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 2, 2016 at: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/62352 Year: 2009 Country: South Africa Keywords: Natural Resources Shelf Number: 139273 |
Author: Lancaster, Lizette Title: At the heart of discontent: Measuring public violence in South Africa Summary: Civil protests and strike action have become increasingly commonplace in South Africa. Although several institutions collect data on various forms of protest, the available information varies in quality, reliability, coverage and accessibility. It is for this reason that the Institute for Security Studies launched its interactive public and election violence-monitoring project in 2014. The objective of this project is to enhance understanding of the nature and extent of all forms of public violence taking place across South Africa to contribute to better initiatives that address their root causes. This paper sets out some of the preliminary findings from the project and provides initial considerations for ensuring appropriate responses to protest and strike action. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2016. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 292: Accessed June 9, 2016 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper292.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Demonstrations and Protests Shelf Number: 139340 |
Author: Jensen, Steffen Title: Violence and community activism in Vrygrond, South Africa Summary: This study project is a partnership between the Community Healing Network (CHN) in Vrygrond, Cape Town and the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims in Copenhagen (RCT). The project has two basic objectives: 1) To conduct a study exploring 1) levels of crime and violence in Vrygrond, Cape Town; 2) the period of xenophobic violence in Vrygrond in May 2008, and 3) what community action was taken to prevent the violence. 2) To understand how the events around May 2008 could be prevented using a community activist model like the one employed by the Community Healing Network, which is one of the authoring organizations of this report. In meeting the first objective, we employed a host of qualitative and quantitative methods, including a violence survey with 517 randomly selected households/- respondents and a study population of 2363 in Vrygrond, interviews with victims of the xenophobic violence and focus group discussions with community activists and community members participating in the data collection. Although it is difficult to collect data in Vrygrond because of security concerns and lack of trust, credible and interesting data was collected by members of the community and analyzed by CHN and RCT. This is s a testimony to the value of actively integrating community members in research projects as partners rather than as research subjects. The quantitative analysis shows an image of a deeply divided, poor and violent community with few state resources, minimal trust in the state or one's neighbours, and endemic intergroup conflicts which are fed by highly derogatory stereotypes on all sides. In many ways, Vrygrond should have experienced xenophobic violence in May 2008. However, the report shows that the direct victimization of violence in Vrygrond during May 2008 was insignificant. Among 517 household respondents, no one had been direct victims of violence during that time. To explore the very real suffering that could not be captured statistically, the report developed a distinction between primary, secondary and tertiary victimization. In the survey, primary victims of the violence provide a measure of the quantitative levels of violence in the general population. Secondary victimization includes those who directly knew people that were affected. Finally, tertiary victimization included all those that felt endangered by the violence because of who they were. The report concludes that the risks of violence are associated with local dynamics around leadership, perceptions of violence as legitimate and gender dimensions. This goes against many other explanations that focus on general structures of poverty, border control and other factors. However, only local dynamics explain why the violence in Vrygrond was relatively low. Finally, the report explores how local dynamics and local activism played itself out in the context of the xenophobic violence. We identified a number of community structures, practices and activities that seemed to have insulated Vrygrond against the worst excesses of the violence: no community authority that legitimised violence, a multiplicity of institutional and individual actors, early warning, interventions of important female community members, activities like feeding programmes and prayer meetings that broke the isolation of non-South Africans, and a constructive relationship to the police who acted according to their prerogative to protect. Perhaps the most important conclusion from the analysis is that individuals demonstrated enormous courage when they risked standing against the xenophobic violence that had enveloped the country. Despite the fact that Vrygrond is a highly divided community, many people acted according to a basic humanity that would dispel the notion that "all South Africans are evil" (as one respondent reflected after the violence). To address the second objective of the study project, the report compares the lessons that could be made regarding preventive community activism with the model and history of the Community Healing Network. The report finds that in many ways CHN is an appropriate model of community healing and prevention of violence. It creates a democratic opportunity for engagement across intrinsic affiliations; because it includes both specialists from NGO's and universities and community members, it serves as the "honest broker" between the state and the community in other contexts. However, CHN is faced with a number of challenges: lack of institutional permanence, lop-sided representation, constant demands for survival needs among the community members, and a historically based antagonistic relationship to the state apparatus. If the challenges are faced, there are clear advantages in developing the model and putting it into practice in Vrygrond and elsewhere. Details: Copenhagen: Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims, 2011. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: RCT International Publication Series No. 1: Accessed June 10, 2016 at: Accessed June 10, 2016 at: http://doc.rct.dk/doc/mon2011.160.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Communities and Crime Shelf Number: 139361 |
Author: UBS Optimus Foundation Title: Sexual victimisation of children in South Africa: Final report of the Optimus Foundation Study: South Africa Summary: UBS Optimus Foundation and conducted by researchers from the University of Cape Town and the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention. The findings indicate that both boys and girls are equally vulnerable to sexual abuse over their lifetime, although the form of abuse often differs. Tip of the iceberg? According to the study, 784,967 young people in South Africa are likely to have been the victims of sexual abuse by the age of 17. This number would fill the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg eight times. 351,214 of these cases of sexual abuse would have occurred in 2015 alone. The sexual abuse and maltreatment of children is preventable, but until now, a lack of data has hindered the development of systems needed to protect and support children. While previous research has almost unfailingly underscored the particular vulnerability of young girls to sexual abuse, the study found that boys were more likely as girls to have experienced some form of sexual abuse (36.8% of boys, 33.9% of girls), but that girls are more likely to experience "contact sexual abuse" than boys, who reported higher levels of "no-contact" sexual abuse. Both forms of abuse, however, can be equally harmful and both should be taken equally seriously. But when it comes to reporting incidents of sexual abuse to authorities, the study found that young people were unlikely to report these cases. Only 31% of girls and no boys reported sexual abuse to the police. Young males are especially disinclined to report, across all categories of abuse. Details: Zurich, SWIT: UBS Optimus Foundation, 2016. 138p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 11, 2016 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/08_cjcp_report_2016_d.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 139398 |
Author: UBS Optimus Foundation Title: Sexual abuse of children and adolescents in South Africa: Forms, extent and circumstances Summary: A solid foundation for better child protection Children are our future; they deserve special protection. It is the state's responsibility to ensure their rights are safeguarded and, under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this includes a duty to protect them from sexual assault. Unfortunately, states are not always successful in doing so. Between 20 and 30 percent of all children and adolescents in South Africa have experienced sexual assault at least once. Yet sound data about the actual extent, forms, circumstances and possible consequences of sexual assaults on children and adolescents have been almost impossible to come by until now. The UBS Optimus Foundation has set itself the goal of changing this and improving the protection of minors against sexual assault sustainably and for the long term. To this end, it launched the Optimus Study, an internationally oriented, large-scale academic project spanning ten years. Representative data about the extent and forms of sexual assault against children and adolescents have now been gathered in three countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, and compared with data from child protection organizations in the relevant country. In this way, fundamental gaps in the relevant child protection systems are revealed and used to form the basis for the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. The UBS Optimus Foundation has worked closely with all significant stakeholders in the field of child protection, providing information for policy makers, child protection practitioners, educators, parents and children and create new platforms for the exchange of information and ideas. Data surveys in Switzerland, China and South Africa. The Optimus Study series has now been completed with data gathered in China, Switzerland and South Africa. This publication provides an overview of the Optimus Study South Africa. Over 13,600 children aged between 15 and 17 provided information about their experiences of sexual assault, possible consequences they suffered, the context of the incident, the perpetrator and the circumstances of their personal lives. In addition, 37 focus groups with institutions from the field of child protection gave information about cases reported to them. The result is likely the most comprehensive picture to date of the extent and forms of sexual assault against minors in South Africa. Details: Zurich, SWIT: UBS Optimus Foundation, 2015. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 11, 2016 at: https://www.ubs.com/ Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Adolescent Sexual Abuse Shelf Number: 139399 |
Author: Madienyane, Dickson Title: The effects of vigilantism on the community of Diepsloot Summary: Vigilantism is a reality that is going to persist into the future for as long as crime exists. The Diepsloot community is not unique to other parts of the country like Khayelitsha, New Brighton, Gugulethu and others in resorting to mob justice. The satisfaction sourced from eliminating a criminal (s) seems to fuel the resolve around this method of justice. The scourge of crime is pretexted as the main reason behind the mob attacks which the community qualifies by the claim that the police are incapable to police crime. The Diepsloot community knows the moral and legal restrictions around crime of this magnitude but their knowledge of police incapacity allows them to justify this horrendous act. Mob justice incidents may not be occurring daily but their spread across the calendar is an uncomfortable reality everyone should be concerned of. The community, especially the victims, suffer permanent scars of fear and the burden on victim families is enormous. Victim families tend to grapple with permanent problem of dependants that have been incapacitated by the mob attacks. By far, victim families believe that perpetrators continue with impunity and the law-enforcement has revised intervention strategies. Multitask teams (like churches, youth, men's forum and sport) have been formed to reach out to the community but somehow no objective needs-analysis have been conducted thus the products are right but have no consumers. The role played by the police in community projects is acknowledged but the coordination structure is too centralised to purport local ownership. The concepts of moral regeneration and social cohesion have to find practical studies in the community of Diepsloot so as to comprehend the interest of the residents and be impactful to do paradigm shift. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: University of the Witwatersrand, 2013. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 29, 2016 at: http://mobile.wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/13113/Vigilantism%20in%20Diepsloot-Edited-Final%20submission%202.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Citizen Patrols Shelf Number: 139539 |
Author: Rafolatsane, Api Title: The Role of Police and Civil Society in Combatting Cross-Border Stock Theft Summary: Stock theft is a national crisis in, across and throughout Lesotho. This fact has led the Lesotho Mounted Police Service to place stock theft management under the serious crimes unit. In the mid-1990s stock theft reached epidemic proportions in the southern district adjoining the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa. This problem still persists and has lately turned very violent and deadly in the Qachas'nek District. However, the Quthing district has seen a relative decrease in the rate of stock theft in the mid-2000s. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors and strategies used in both Quthing and Qachas'nek districts to curb cross border stock theft. These factors and strategies are then compared to establish why cross-border stock theft is decreasing in Quthing while it escalates in Qachas'nek. The main finding of the research is that the Quthing community adopted the strategy of community policing and were trained on crime prevention while the opposite is true in the Qachas'nek district. A community policing strategy has not been adopted in Qachas'nek. It has also been established that training in community policing and crime prevention has to be offered to police officers and the members of crime prevention committee members. Lastly, the study revealed that laws governing stock theft have to be amended and the crime prevention committees should be better empowered. Details: Witwatersrand: University of the Witwatersrand, 2013. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2016 at: https://core.ac.uk/download/files/979/39671842.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cattle Stealing Shelf Number: 139575 |
Author: Fester, Ryan Nicholas Title: Crime Prevention through Spatial Planning: The Case of Harare, Khayelitsha Summary: Defensible space aims to provide residents with the power to control their residential environment, so that they will defend it against any threat. While the literature on defensible space is prolific, and while its principles are still being adapted for different contexts across the world, critiques of defensible space indicate that its validity for different contexts is questionable and necessitates further exploration. This paper explores how the implementation of defensible space principles in the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU) safe node area of Harare, Khayelitsha has reduced crime rates and anti-social behaviour. Furthermore, it also aims to provide planners with knowledge regarding VPUU's prescription to defensible space principles. The research was conducted primarily through the use of the case study method, and a critical discourse analysis of VPUU's urban design principles. Harare's crime statistics were analysed through the use of mixed methods, in order to gain an understanding of how crime has been affected in the area. Interviews with locals from Harare provided insight on how residents perceived safety in their area after VPUU's intervention. Observations were also made in order to understand how the intervention area functions and how people use it. Cognitive mapping was done with primary school children to ascertain their perceptions of safety in Harare. The research findings revealed that the implementation of defensible space principles in Harare has improved the quality of public space, but it has not reduced crime rates or anti-social behaviour. Moreover, the main finding revealed that crime was not solely a result of design flaws, but rather as a result of the social conditions in the neighbourhood. As a result, the main recommendation was that crime prevention strategies should not focus solely on design but should address the social conditions present. The researcher argues that the implementation of defensible space principles should be context-driven, because what works in one context will not necessarily work in another. Includes bibliographical references Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town, 2015. 163p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 13, 2016 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/18204 Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Built Environment Shelf Number: 139634 |
Author: Rademeyer, Julian Title: Tipping Point: Transnational organised crime and the 'war' on poaching Summary: More than six thousand rhinos have fallen to poachers' bullets in Africa over the past decade. Dozens more have been shot in so-called "pseudo-hunts" in South Africa. Across Europe, castles and museums have been raided by criminal gangs in search of rhino horn trophies. And in the United States, businessmen, antique dealers - even a former rodeo star and a university professor - have been implicated in the illicit trade. Driven by seemingly insatiable demand in Southeast Asia and China, rhino horn has become a black market commodity that rivals the value of gold and platinum. The impact of rampant poaching and deeply entrenched transnational criminal networks over the past decade has been severe. Today there are estimated to be about 25,000 rhino left in Africa, a fraction of the tens of thousands that existed just half-a-century ago. Numbers of white rhinos ( Ceratotherium simum ) have begun to stagnate and decline, with 2015 population figures estimated at between 19,666 and 21,085. While the numbers of more critically endangered black rhino ( Diceros bicornis ) - estimated to number between 5,040 and 5,458 - have increased, population growth rates have fallen. Since 2008, incidents of rhino poaching have increased at a staggering rate. In 2015, 1,342 rhinos were killed for their horns across seven African range states, compared to just 262 in the early stages of the current crisis in 2008. The vast majority of poaching incidents occurred in South Africa, home to about 79% of the continent's last remaining rhinos. The country's Kruger National Park - which contains the world's largest rhino population - has suffered the brunt of the slaughter. While South Africa experienced a marginal dip in poaching figures in 2015 - the first time that the numbers had fallen since 2008 - this was offset by dramatic spikes in poaching in Namibia and Zimbabwe, two key black rhino range states. Namibia, which had experienced little to no poaching from 2006 to 2012 saw Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime Tipping Point: Transnational organised crime and the 'war' on poaching incidents increase from four in 2013 to 30 in 2014 and 90 in 2015. In Zimbabwe, 51 rhinos were killed, up from twenty in 2014. It was the country's worst year on record since 2008, when 164 rhinos were lost to poachers. While Vietnam remains a key destination and transit country, growing numbers of Chinese nationals have been arrested and prosecuted in recent years in Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States for smuggling rhino horn. Research conducted by TRAFFIC has pointed to a thriving online market for rhino horn on Vietnamese and Chinese social media platforms. There is some evidence of divergent markets in Vietnam and China with demand for "raw", unworked rhino horn in the former and carvings, libation cups and fake antiques - commonly referred to as zuo jiu - in the latter. In Vietnam, for instance, a number of artisanal villages are known to produce rhino horn bangles, bracelets, beads and libation cups for Chinese buyers. China has also emerged a significant destination for antique rhino horn carvings that have been auctioned in Europe, the United States and Australia. The killing shows little sign of slowing. Despite the valiant efforts of many law enforcement and government officials, prosecutors and game rangers, the transnational criminal networks trafficking rhino horn are as resilient as ever and - with rare exceptions - impervious to attempts to disrupt their activities. Fragmented law enforcement strategies - often led by environmental agencies with little political power and no mandate to investigate or gather intelligence on organised crime networks - have had little impact on syndicates that operate globally, with tentacles reaching from Africa to Europe, the United States and Asia. Borders, bureaucracy and a tangle of vastly different laws and legal jurisdictions are a boon to transnational criminal networks and a bane to the law enforcement agencies rallied against them. Entities like Interpol, Europol, CITES and the World Customs Organisation are only as good as the government officials in member states who are delegated to work with them. Again and again, their efforts to target syndicates in multiple jurisdictions are hamstrung by corruption, incompetence, governments that are unwilling or incapable of acting, a lack of information-sharing, petty jealousies and approaches to tackling crime that wrongly emphasise arrests and seizures over targeted investigations and convictions as a barometer of success. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2016. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2016 at: http://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Global-Initiative-Tipping-Point-Part1-July-2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 139645 |
Author: Rademeyer, Julian Title: Beyond Borders: Crime, conservation and criminal networks in the illicit rhino horn trade Summary: The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, the WWF and the Geneva Environment Platform organised the Geneva launch of "Beyond borders: Crime, conservation and criminal networks in the illicit rhino horn trade", the second of two reports investigating the illegal trade in rhino horn and law enforcement responses, on 13 July 2016 in the International Environment House. Six thousand rhinos have fallen to poachers' bullets in Africa over the past decade and only about 25,000 remain - a fraction of the tens of thousands that roamed the parts of the continent fifty years ago. Driven by the seemingly insatiable demand in Southeast Asia and China, rhino horn has become a black market commodity rivalling gold and platinum in value. This report, the second of two, is a major investigation into Southern African rhino horn trafficking networks. It focuses on rhino poaching, smuggling and organised crime in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, two source countries for rhino products where legal and law enforcement frameworks to curb rhino poaching are in place, yet poorly implemented. It also investigates the involvement of the diplomatic world in the rhino horn trade including recent revelations of North Korean embassy involvement. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2016. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 15, 2016 at: http://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Global-Initiative-Beyond-Borders-Part2-July-2016-1.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 139646 |
Author: Herbig, Friedo J.W. Title: The illegal exploitation of certain marine species as a form of environmental crime in the Western Cape Summary: Conservation criminology as a derivative of environmental criminology is considered in this dissertation through a strategic/empirical investigation of the illegal exploitation of a cross-section of certain, essentially fiscally attractive marine resources, as a form of environmental crime in the Western Cape province. Through primarily qualitative and quantitative interviewing techniques, augmented by the application of a survey questionnaire, significant and pragmatic insight was obtained from knowledgeable functionaries. The study elucidates the purview and dynamics of the marine crime phenomenon by focussing specifically on issues such as modus operandi, crime scenes, causation, operational efficacy, and social/biological repercussions. Deficient policing capacity and concomitant lack of deterrence, compounded by institutional limitations, emerge as fundamental proclivities impeding proficient marine resource conservation. It is envisaged that this study will broaden the frontiers of marine crime knowledge, contributing not only to the implementation of effective mitigation programmes but also to enriching the criminological discipline as a whole. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2001. 286p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 15, 2016 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/963 Year: 2001 Country: South Africa Keywords: Marine Species Shelf Number: 132334 |
Author: De Wet, Neil J. Title: The South African regulatory framework relating to illegal trade in rhino horn Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the current South African regulatory framework related to the illegal trade in wildlife, provides the means to regulate the illegal trade in rhino horn effectively. In an effort to combat and eradicate the illegal trade in wild species and parts therein, South Africa has enacted numerous laws and it has ratified various international conservation Conventions. However, with more than 800 rhinos having been killed in 2013 alone, it is doubtful whether these laws and conventions are adequate. The first chapter is an introductory chapter summarising the latest statistics on rhinos fatalities as a result of poaching, an estimate on their numbers as well giving a brief overview of what laws and conventions will be discussed in this study. In the second chapter the historical development of the trade in rhino horn is dissected, who the culprits are and the reason why rhinos are poached for their horn. The third chapter analyses international conventions that have been adopted by South Africa, including conventions such as the Convention on International Trade in Enangered Species, the Convention on Biological Diversity and agreements such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The fourth chapter will focus more on the regional contributions which the African Union and Southern African Developing Community have made in an effort to combat the illegal trade in endangered species and their products such as rhino. The fifth and final chapter discusses South African legislation which comprises of the National Environmental Management Act, National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act and the Criminal Procedure Act so as to determine what influence it has had in the effort to regulate the illegal trade in rhino horn. The conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that the South African regulatory framework on paper is indeed adequate enough to regulate and even eradicate the illegal trade in rhino horn. The reason, however, for it's currently failure is attributable to a lack of enforcement of these measures as a result of a lack of provisions holding entities accountable. Details: Potchefstroom, South Africa: North-West University, 2014. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 18, 2016 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/144/1441177074.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Illegal Wildlife Trade Shelf Number: 139649 |
Author: Letlatsa, Oumama Tryphosa Title: The effects of organised crime on the macroeconomic stability of South Africa Summary: Economists usually distinguish between five macroeconomic objectives, namely, high and sustainable economic growth, full employment, price stability, balance of payments stability and the equitable distribution of income. This research deals with the economics of organised crime. It aims to examine the relationship between organised crime and the five macroeconomic objectives. To prove that organised crime has an impact on macroeconomic stability, it is necessary to show that it involves large sums of money relative to overall economic activity. Crime has always been mentioned as a factor that has an impact on the economic growth of a country, but the extent to which crime constrains growth and by what mechanisms it limits growth and development is unknown. This can be attributed to the underground nature of most organised criminal activities, such as money laundering. Very little research has been done on the costs and the extent of organised crime on the macroeconomy of South Africa. In attempting to quantify the costs of crime relative to the macroeconomy of South Africa, this research identifies various organised criminal activities. It examines the extent of the costs and the threats they pose to the macroeconomic stability of South Africa. This research shows that the political transformation and the resultant globalisation of South Africa during the early 1990s provided an ideal opportunity for organised crime structures to expand. It also shows that organised crime imposes direct and indirect costs on households and businesses, and therefore on the economy of South Africa as a whole. Organised crime diverts funds that could otherwise be invested in productive capacity, it discourages foreign investment and induces the government to spend money on law enforcement, crime prevention and the administration of justice, instead of spending it on the creation of additional employment opportunities. Tax revenue is also lost to money laundering. The abuse of the informal economy by money launderers has an impact on growth. Crime has prevented the growth of the tourist industry to its full potential given the country's reputation of violence. A loss of skilled personnel who left the country has also been experienced, citing crime as a reason to immigrate. Details: Johannesburg: University of Johannesburg, 2008. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 28, 2016 at: http://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10210/3453/Letlatsa.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Economics and Crime Shelf Number: 139653 |
Author: Bantjes, Megan Title: Finding our way: Developing a community work model for addressing torture Summary: Why do community interventions? And why do community interventions in relation to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (CIDT) in South Africa ? The literature points to a number of gains as regards community interventions: they are likely to be more efficient in reaching the large numbers of beneficiaries; they are arguably more effective than one - on - one interventions for addressing large - scale psychosocial suffering; they potentially impact on a systemic level rather than on an individual level, and thereby have further reach; and they can mobilise people to engage in challenging and changing policies and institutions so that the realities of th eir daily lives improve (see, e.g., Bracken et al. 1997; Naidoo 2000; Veary 2011). All of these potential gains are relevant in relation to torture and CIDT in South Africa. Individual and specialised services are hard to access for people in poor neighbo urhoods, and there are few specialised service providers for large numbers of victims. As torture and CIDT in South Africa are caused by structural inequalities between rich and poor, we argue that prevention efforts should address these inequalities. Fina lly, torture and CIDT are, for the general public and in policy circles, often associated with the apartheid regime's policing practices or viewed as something that occurs outside South Africa's borders (Dissel et al. 2009). This means that today's victims are often unaware that their rights have been violated, or unlikely to name the violation "torture" and are therefore unlikely to seek help. Only by assisting these victims and empowering them to demand their rights can torture and CIDT be prevented. Whil e these potential gains are all worth pursuing, community interventions in general have suffered from theoretical and methodological shortcomings. As noted by Jessen et al. (2010) in their analysis of psychosocial community interventions in Latin America, community interventions are seldom evaluated or assessed in systematic ways; they are grounded in normative assumptions about what ought to happen rather than tested, theoretically informed causal relations; and they often lack clearly defined target group s. Shortcomings like these prompted CSVR - Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation in South Africa and DIGNITY - Danish Institute Against Torture (formerly RCT - Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims) to engage in systematic and critical reflections on how to produce a theoretically informed model of community work with clear and relevant target groups that can also be systematically evaluated and assessed. The aim of this report is to document and reflect on the process of producing such a theoretically informed approach to community intervention in ways that might prove 7 useful to other organisations working with human rights and psychosocial interventions. It is in this sense that we talk about finding our way. In "Finding Our Way," we have tapped a number of sources. First, we discuss different theoretical perspectives on community work that we have identified in the academic literature (Chapter 2). Second, we explore different practical examples of community interventions that we have identified in organisations in SVR's and DIGNITY's broader network (Chapter 3). Third, we discuss some of CSVR's own experiences with community work in relation to a refugee women's empowerment project and home visits aimed at support and referrals (Chapter 4). On the basis of these practical and theoretical inputs, we outline the parameters for a CSVR approach to community intervention for torture and CIDT as it emerged towards the end of 2011. This model is now being implemented and tried out in three places around the Gauteng area in South Africa. We will report on the progress of the work at a later stage. In this report, we present how we arrived at the model through systematically combining practical experiences and theoretical inputs. The hope is that these inputs - and the process of putting them into concrete use in the model - might be of use and inspiration to other organisations within the broader DIGNITY and CSVR networks and beyond. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation; and Copenhagen:Dignity: Danish Institute Against Torture, 2012. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: DIGNITY Publication Series on Torture and Organised Violence, no. 1: Accessed July 18, 2016 at: https://www.dignityinstitute.org/media/2065754/pubseries_no1.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Community Interventions Shelf Number: 139656 |
Author: Lubbe, Lindy-Lee Title: A Competency Model for Security Officers: A Qualitative Design Summary: Crime is rife in South Africa. Explanations abound for the high crime statistics, including the weakening of the family unit, the political history of South Africa, urbanisation and the fast growing urban neighbourhood, a weak criminal justice system and the abundant availability of firearms. In the quest to prevent crime, the private security industry has become a key performer in helping to deter and prevent crime and criminal activities. Yet there are no set criteria for selecting security officers against the backdrop of the high crime rates and a growing private security sector. Therefore the purpose was to develop a competency model for the selection of security officers for the safekeeping and protection of persons and property in the Thaba Tshwane area. I chose to do qualitative research using an interpretive approach in an attempt to understand the views of the participants concerning the work context and requirements of security officers. A grounded theory approach to the strategy of inquiry was employed as it was best suited to keeping the information that was gathered grounded in the participants' own opinions. The focus of this research was on designing a competency model for security officers for selection purposes. Data were gathered through disciplinary records and open-ended structured interviews where the repertory grid and the behavioural event interview were applied.Eight subject matter experts, who included security officers, managers and a client working in the security industry, were used. The result of the study was a competency model of nine competencies and their definitions, which were grounded in the data and critical in functioning as an efficient security officer. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2010. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 25, 2016 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/4608 Year: 2010 Country: South Africa Keywords: Private Police Shelf Number: 139831 |
Author: Ferrell, Britany Title: Alcohol Policy and Regulation: Public Opinion Amongst Young Adults in Khayelitsha, South Africa Summary: South Africa has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the world. It is important to study public opinion of alcohol regulatory policies as it plays a crucial role in the success of policy measures. There is a dearth of research on public opinion of alcohol policies in developing countries. This study is the first to explore public opinion of older and young adults on alcohol policy in South Africa. In addition, the drinking behavior of young adults was also investigated along with its relationship with policy support. Methods: The study sample consisted of 1728 young (n=513) and older adults (n=1215). Demographic details and opinion on 15 policy measures (Yes/No) were recorded for both groups. The survey of young adults included additional questions on drinking patterns. Univariate analysis of opinion on policy measures was performed for each group and compared using chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to find the relationship between policy support levels and demographic factors and drinking behavior of young adults. Results: Complete data were recorded for 567 older adults and 402 younger adults. The majority of the participants (75-80 percent) agreed on restricted availability, increased pricing and greater enforcement measures. In contrast, only 65% of the participants were in favor of increased restrictions on alcohol marketing. Older adults were more supportive of earlier closing times of bars, a raise in minimum purchasing age, as well as an increase in pricing and taxes of alcohol (p<0.001). Females and employed participants were found to be more likely to support alcohol policy measures. Drinking patterns and behavior of young adults significantly predicted most policy measures after controlling for demographic factors. For example, policies on restricted alcohol availability, increase in taxes, and raids were supported by participants who reported that they mostly drank at big events. In contrast, these policies were opposed by those who drink alcohol every day and almost every day along with those who drink during street bashes Support for restrictions on the purchase age of alcohol was not predicted by drinking patterns of young adults Conclusion: It is important to increase the understanding and support of vulnerable groups, especially males and young adults, for policy measures. The relationship between drinking patterns and policy support levels indicates that regular tracking of drinking behavior is necessary for the success of these policies. The results support previous findings indicating that young people are more likely to resist alcohol regulations. Details: Cape Town, S. Africa: University of Cape Town, 2016. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 3, 2016 at:https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/20856 Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Alcohol Abuse Shelf Number: 140164 |
Author: Pelgrim, Riekje Title: Witchcraft and Policing: South Africa Police Service attitudes towards witchcraft and witchcraft-related crime in the Northern Province Summary: In the last two decades, the Northern Province of South Africa has experienced hundreds of so-called witch attacks: violent assaults in which individuals or groups of people are accused of practicing witchcraft. Since the mid 1980s, the attacking and killing of people believed to be witches has become an increasingly problematic social issue in this part of the world. Narrations of witchcraft related violence have been numerous in the press, police reports and the academic world. South African newspapers and television have covered the issue of witchcraft related problems extensively: a quick review of backdated articles and television programmes reflects the ever-growing social problem caused by the belief in witchcraft. During my six-month fieldwork period in the Northern Province, both The Mirror and the Soutpansberger, two local weekly newspapers, carried on average one witchcraft related article per edition. Even the Mail & Guardian and the Sowetan, national newspapers of substantial influence and objective reputation, have published numerous articles dealing with witchcraft related issues. Additionally, police reports of witchcraft related crime have been numerous. Statistics show that between 1990 and 2001, the number of witchcraft related cases has increased from an estimated 50 cases per year to over 1300 a year. As a result, special attention has been paid to this type of crime: the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) has been collecting statistical data and organising rallies and workshops. In this manner, the police have tried to raise awareness regarding the serious consequences of this type of crime and hope to diminish it. Awakened by these statistics, the social unrest and the subsequent media attention during the late 1980s and the early 1990s, the new national ANC government felt that it needed to address this situation. In an attempt to combat the ever-growing problems caused by the belief in witchcraft, it appointed a special research committee in 1995: the Commission of Inquiry into the Witchcraft Violence and Ritual Murders in the Northern Province of South Africa. Through means of unstructured interviews this commission - headed by Professor Ralushai - conducted extensive research regarding the subject of witchcraft and its related problems. The overall findings however were very limited and disappointing due to, inter alia, a complete lack of theoretical foundation and ambiguous methodology. Despite the fact that some recommendations in the fields of education and legislation were made, no constructive steps were ever taken and, like so many other research reports, the Ralushai findings ended up on a government shelf collecting dust. Compared to the media, the SAPS and the national government, the academic world has seriously fallen behind in its attention and concern for contemporary witchcraft related problems in the Northern Province of South Africa. Most scientific studies regarding witchcraft beliefs and their related social consequences are exceptionally dated. Although anthropologists studied the general topic of witchcraft beliefs extensively during the twentieth century, most data regarding the belief in witchcraft in the Northern Province dates back to fieldwork that was conducted during the 1930s and 1940s (Niehaus 2001: 1). Particular ethnic groups, such as the Sotho, the Tswana and Lovedu, were studied in those years by scholars like Junod and Krige, and their studies are to this day regarded as blueprints for Northern Province witchcraft beliefs. Although more recent data regarding these beliefs has been provided by scholars like Hammond-Tooke, Ritchken, Stadler and Delius during the 1980 and even 1990s, real in-depth anthropological studies regarding Northern Province witchcraft beliefs and especially their serious social consequences in the Northern Province leave much to be desired. In an effort to both fill this theoretical gap regarding witchcraft beliefs in the Northern Province, and to collect empirical data regarding specific witchcraft accusations, a research programme named 'Crossing Witchcraft Barriers in South Africa' was set up in 1997 as part of the South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD). The aim of SANPAD programmes has been to stimulate alternative academic research in South Africa in the area of cross-fields of developments. The research project 'Crossing Witchcraft Barriers in South Africa' was based at the University of the North in South Africa and supported by the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands. Its aims were to establish an interdisciplinary study of witchcraft beliefs and witchcraft accusations in South Africa. At first, this programme was carried out by about a dozen senior students and junior staff from the University of the North in cooperation with members of the University of Utrecht. Researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds - sociology, psychology, anthropology, theology and religious studies - were engaged in fieldwork to find out from all parties involved what exactly happens in specific witchcraft related cases, and what their background and consequences are. As part of this project, I was invited as the only non-South African to partake in this research project in the Northern Province. During two periods of three months in 2001, I conducted research regarding the topic of the belief in witchcraft and in particular its relation to policing and legislation. Before going into the finer details of my research however, I will describe the problems caused by the Northern Province witchcraft belief, in order to contextualise the research question. Details: Leiden, NETH: African Studies Centre, 2003. 170p. Source: Internet Resource: African Studies Centre Research Report 72 / 2003 : Accessed September 28, 2016 at: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/12920/ASC-075287668-076-01.pdf?sequence=2%20- Year: 2003 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Law Shelf Number: 146159 |
Author: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention Title: The Optimus Study on Child Abuse, Violence and Neglect in South Africa Summary: The Optimus Study provides the first-ever representative data in South Africa on child maltreatment and exposure to other forms of violence. This research bulletin addresses the lifetime prevalence of violence against children, as reported by 15-17 year old South Africans. These issues were explored both in a household survey and a school survey: in each setting, young people were interviewed about their experiences by trained enumerators, and were also given the opportunity to respond to a small set of questions on a more confidential questionnaire which they completed themselves. The highest reporting rates were obtained from these self-administered questionnaires, particularly in schools. Since violence and abuse are stigmatising and are typically under-reported, it seems that this was the situation in which young people felt most comfortable disclosing their experiences and these rates, therefore, may be the most trustworthy. The study explored several forms of maltreatment (abuse and neglect), and exposure to violence, and most of the figures below are based on the findings from the self-administered questionnaires completed in schools. Details: Rondebosch, South Africa: The Centre, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Bulletin: Accessed October 19, 2016 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/cjcp_ubs_web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 140791 |
Author: Leoschut, Lezanne Title: Returning to a Reluctant Sender: An Exploration into Community Attitudes Toward Diversion and Reintegration in South Africa Summary: Child and youth crime continues to be one of the primary challenges facing post-apartheid South Africa. The increasingly high numbers of young, first time perpetrators incarcerated for various minor offences is an issue that raises infinite contention worldwide. It is estimated by the Department of Correctional Services that 4% of all awaiting trial prisoners are children younger than 18 years. Moreover, 2.5% of the sentenced prison population are comprised of children under the age of 18 years. The extent of young offenders awaiting trial in the country's correctional facilities is a considerable statistic when considering that many of their offences are suitable for diversion. Advocates for children's rights have for long been engaged in the battle for the establishment of a separate system to deal specifically with first-time child and youth offenders of minor crimes. The birth of democracy in South Africa has aided the sustained action towards a new justice system which incorporates principles of restorative justice. The Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 (CJA) finally came into being in 2010. Prior to this, the implementation of alternative forms of sentencing such as diversion were conducted on a small and relatively un-monitored scale under the Child Justice Bill 49 of 2002. The new act has been welcomed mainly because of the guidelines and legal framework it provides for child justice in South Africa. These guidelines include the regulations for diversion and alternative penalties for young offenders, and also outline suitable penalties based on the age, background and other factors such as the offence and religious beliefs of the young offender. Children and youth who become involved in delinquent activities at a very young age, are generally more inclined to continue along this path later on in their lives; highlighting the need for interventions to target these youths before their delinquent acts become established behavioural patterns. Incarcerating young offenders for their criminal acts fails to curb crime since these youths are only temporarily removed from society, the root causes for their behaviours are not addressed, and they often graduate to more serious offences following their time behind bars due to their exposure to other criminal elements. With the high recidivism rates as a result of youth being exposed to the criminal justice system at an early age and following criminal careers because of the criminal records received from incarceration, the advent of alternative penalties have brought a new wave of hope for reduced recidivism rates. Prior to the CJA, diversion was virtually unavailable in poorer communities and the rural areas. A shortage of diversion service providers and the lack of funding from the Department of Social Development (DSD), as well as the reluctance on the part of the criminal justice system practitioners (i.e. magistrates, prosecutors and probation officers) to refer young, first time minor offenders to diversion programmes, have exacerbated the problem of youth incarceration. An area lacking sufficient research is the extent to which communities are receptive to diversion and alternative penalties. Since the success of diversion rests principally in the community's ability to reintegrate the offender, the current dearth of literature on community experiences and attitudes toward offender reintegration, underscore the need for this small scale exploratory study. In this monograph, a brief description of the history of child justice in South Africa and the steps taken in the process of launching the Child Justice Act (CJA) (75 of 2008) developed from the Child Justice Bill (CJB) (49 of 2002) will be provided. It will, in addition, explore the applicability of the Child Justice Act in South Africa through the lens of restorative justice, which is the pillar of the Act. There will be the analysis of diversion and how this has supported the objectives of restorative justice, to alleviate the criminal justice system and reduce recidivism. Following this, the findings from the study conducted amongst 1802 participants recruited from 14 communities across three provinces in South Africa; namely Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, elucidating community members' perceptions of diversion and reintegration will be analysed. This analysis will be useful for painting a picture of the community responses to restorative justice since the community is highly contributory to the success or failure of such programmes. Overall, the findings of the study show that across the three provinces there is a noticeable hesitancy to engage with young, first time minor offenders through restorative justice practices such as diversion on a community level. It must however be noted that participants did feel that family cohesion and support was necessary and practiced within their households to a large extent, but community responsibility to maintain peace and order and raise children well was not perceived in the same manner. Although participants were drawn from diverse communities, there is no discernible difference between responses based on community types, however, participants from KwaZulu-Natal were undoubtedly the most unreceptive of diversion and related penalties. While most participants had not experienced or witnessed crime, there were high levels of insecurity within the communities represented in this study. Two thirds (33.6%) of participants said that they felt unsafe while at home and some of these feelings of insecurity were attributed to young peoples involvement in criminal activities in their communities. The findings present very interesting insight into the possible barriers towards reducing the incidences of youths engaging in crime and applying diversion and reintegration with positive outcomes within South Africa. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2012. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph Series, no. 10: Accessed October 19, 2016 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/monograph_10_-_return_to_rel.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Juvenile Diversion Programs Shelf Number: 145896 |
Author: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention Title: Connected Dot Com: Young People's Navigation of Online Risks Summary: This study explores young people's use of social media, the dangers faced online, and the ways in which young people negotiate their own safety online. It was conducted through focus groups in 93 schools across SA in tandem with the 2012 National School Violence Study. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: CJCP, 2013. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2016 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/connected_dot_com.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Protection Shelf Number: 145877 |
Author: Leoschut, Lezanne Title: How Risk the Rewards: Results of the 2005 National Youth Victimisation Study Summary: The study explored the victimisation experiences of 4409 South African youth between the ages of 12 and 22 years by means of a structured survey questionnaire. The aim of the study was to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the crimes committed against youth in South Africa. The objectives were two-fold: first, to assess the extent of victimisation experiences of young people; and second, to assess the nature and correlates of these experiences. Participants were asked a series of questions pertaining to their exposure to, and experiences of, violence in their homes, at school and within their broader communities. The types of crimes explored in the study included general violent crimes as well as property crimes. Information was also obtained about their perceptions of their communities, home environments, involvement in social activities, as well as their knowledge of support structures. The raw data was captured using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and was analysed by means of frequencies and cross-tabulations using chi-square statistical tests. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2006. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph Series, no. 1. Accessed October 20, 2016 at: https://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/National_Youth_Victimisation_Survey.pdf Year: 2006 Country: South Africa Keywords: Victimization Survey Shelf Number: 102290 |
Author: Kane-Berman, John Title: Going Off the Rails: The Slide Towards the Lawless South African State Summary: South Africa is widely recognised as a lawless country. It is also a country run by a government which has itself become increasingly lawless. This is so despite all the commitments to legality set out in the Constitution. Not only is the post-apartheid South Africa founded upon the principle of legality, but courts whose independence is guaranteed are vested with the power to ensure that these principles are upheld. Prosecuting authorities are enjoined to exercise their functions "without fear, favour, or prejudice". The same duty is laid upon other institutions established by the Constitution, among them the public protector and the auditor general. Everyone is endowed with the right to "equal protection and benefit of the law". We are all also entitled to "administrative action that is lawful, reasonable, and procedurally fair". Unlike the old South Africa – no doubt because of it – the new Rechtsstaat was one where the rule of law would be supreme, power would be limited, and the courts would have the final say. This edifice, and these ideals, are under threat. Lawlessness on the part of the state and those who run it is on the increase. The culprits run from the president down to clerks of the court, from directors general to immigration officials, from municipal managers to prison warders, from police generals to police constables, from cabinet ministers to petty bureaucrats. Lawlessness ranges from protecting the criminal, to hounding the innocent, to crushing the poor. It runs from the unconstitutional to the outright criminal, from the brazen and defiant to the negligent or ignorant. It embraces slamming down the telephone on judges as well as victimising traffic policemen who flag down celebrities. It ranges from violations of parliamentary procedure, to breaches of the Public Finance Management Act, to outright skulduggery and corruption. Its victims include taxpayers who get fleeced, mining companies whose licence applications are unlawfully denied, suppliers who do not get paid for their services, and motorists who are forced off the road by reckless government drivers. The victims also include prisoners denied medical treatment, refugees forced to pay bribes, hawkers whose goods are unlawfully confiscated, and poor people unlawfully evicted from shacks which are then unlawfully demolished. Some people are unlawfully appointed, some unlawfully dismissed, some both. Others are unlawfully denied appointment or promotion. A criminal record is no bar to appointment or promotion, even in agencies designed to combat crime. Physical torture seems to be pervasive. Perpetrators of crime often get away with it. Some victims are able to seek redress in the courts, others suffer in silence. Many cases of lawlessness are reported in the newspapers, but they are probably the tip of quite a large iceberg. The courts are the ultimate guarantors of our rights and of legality but they are insulted, their orders are sometimes ignored, and their decisions are frequently taken on endless appeals. Sometimes instead of bowing to the courts and the law, the government seeks – unlawfully – to change the law. Statutory organisations designed to apply the law are deliberately undermined, while watchdogs and whistle-blowers seeking to uphold the law are subjected to intimidation. Lawlessness predates President Jacob Zuma's assumption of power in 2009, but it has intensified during his rule as more and more people and institutions follow his example and the examples of those who condone his behaviour. Details: Johannesburg: IRR (South African Institute of Race Relations), 2016. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2016 at: http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/attachments/65454_going_off_the_rails_02.11.2016_.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Administration of Justice Shelf Number: 144997 |
Author: Omega Research Foundation Title: Manufacturing torture? South Africa's trade in electric shock equipment Summary: In South Africa, the trade in certain kinds of firearms and military equipment is controlled for reasons of safety and security. However, there is a gap in legislation when it comes to the control of law enforcement equipment that can facilitate torture and ill treatment. This brief examines electric shock devices as an example of security equipment that needs stronger trade-control measures. The brief outlines concerns over the use of electric shock equipment, and discusses the manufacture of these items in South Africa and their trade with other countries. It also looks at trade controls currently used elsewhere, and provides recommendations for changes in the control measures surrounding these products in South Africa. Recommendations 1 The trade in law-enforcement equipment that has no practical purpose other than for the purpose of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment should be prohibited. 2 Body-worn electric shock devices (e.g. stun belts) have no legitimate law enforcement purpose and should be banned for import and export. 3 Hand-held direct contact electric shock devices designed for law enforcement (e.g. stun shields and stun batons) are prone to abuse and should be banned for import and export. 4 Wired projectile electric shock weapons should be regulated in the same way as firearms. 5 A targeted end-use control mechanism for policing and security equipment would help prevent the transfer of weapons that could contribute to internal repression. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2016. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 84: Accessed November 10, 2016 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicyBrief84.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Electric Shock Shelf Number: 141093 |
Author: Grabrucker, Katharina Title: Does Crime Deter South Africans from Self-Employment? Summary: An often-heard argument is that South Africa's very high crime rate is the main reason for the country's small share of business ownership. Combining a fixed-effects model with an instrumental variable approach, we estimate the effect of crime on self-employment and business performance using a matched data set of census, survey and police data. In contrast to previous studies, which focus on perceived rather than actual crime and often deal with geographically limited areas, we do not find robust evidence that high crime rates have a negative impact on self-employment. Although the impact of crime is statistically significant and negative, it is economically small. Moreover, our results suggest a positive rather than a negative relationship between robbery and burglary and sales and average business profits. These results suggest that crime may not be in general a serious threat for small businesses in low and middle-income countries. Details: Bonn, Germany: Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), 2016. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper No. 10280 Accessed November 16, 2016 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp10280.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Businesses and Crime Shelf Number: 141191 |
Author: Skywalker, Luke Lee Title: Politics of the Number: An Account of Predominent South African Prison Gang Influences Summary: The study is a contextual account of various factors that facilitate and promote the continued dominance of the 'Number gangs' prevalent in many (if not most) South African prisons. Even though there is a substantial amount of factors that critically influence and sustain the South African prison gangs, this paper will focus upon a few of these influences. An emergent sentiment from exponents within these gangs, and supporting academic literature both argue that these dominant inmate factions are now adapting their mythical credo so as to remain an informal power-player within the scope of a failing South African prison administration. From a managerial perspective, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is often found attempting to give meaningful accounts of itself amidst its failed efforts to transform both itself and the South African prison administration. The policy legislation and administration of DCS thus also contribute to prison gang prominence. The study shows that DCS has embraced a policy of harsher penality, although its official position is that it is transforming into an administration that is focused upon human rights. This paper will thus give brief insight into the prison gangs' organization and operations, and then focus upon various contexts within which the Number gangs continue to be pervasive, especially due to changing prison administrative policy (or lack thereof) and due to new adaptive strategy employed by gangs to make themselves powerbrokers within this contentious penal discourse. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town, 2014. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed February 8, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11427/9095/thesis_law_2014_skywalker_ll.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Prison Gangs Shelf Number: 146003 |
Author: Lemboe, Craig Title: Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling in South Africa: Causes and Consequences Summary: The main instrument within the broader framework of tobacco control in South Africa has been the more aggressive use of tobacco taxes which since 1999/2000 have increased from 0.12 cents per cigarette to 0.38c in 2009/10. The primary goal of these policies is to reduce cigarette consumption and the attendant negative externality. National Treasury (NT) data seem to suggest that these initiatives and higher taxes in particular have been effective in reducing cigarette consumption. However, the official (NT) data pay little attention to the illegal cigarette market which in South Africa has long been assumed to be only a fraction of total cigarette consumption. Comparing an independent consumption survey with the NT data we find that the level of cigarette smuggling in South Africa is in fact significant, constituting between 40% and 50% of the total market, and that cigarette tax hikes have to a large extent contributed to its continued existence and growth by creating a financial incentive to smuggle. Furthermore, the well-established informal sector in South Africa - which developed under Apartheid rule and is characterised by strong networks with other African countries - implies that there is a greater ability and likelihood of consumers switching from consuming legal cigarettes to consuming illegal cigarettes following a tax-induced price increase. There is also much evidence indicating that illegal cigarettes are of inferior quality which, combined with the tax induced shift to smuggled cigarettes, suggests that cigarette tax hikes could have the perverse effect of raising rather than lowering the overall negative externality. Details: Stellenbosch, South Africa: Bureau for Economic Research, University of Stellenbosch, 2012. 28p. Source: Internet Resource:: Stellenbosch Economic Working Papers: 9/12: Accessed February 10, 2017 at: Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cigarette Smuggling Shelf Number: 147770 |
Author: UBS Optimus Foundation Title: Optimus Study South Africa: Technical Report. Sexual victimisation of children in South Africa Final report of the Optimus Foundation Study: South Africa Summary: This report presents the findings of the Optimus Study conducted in South Africa. This study was designed specifically to estimate the annual incidence and lifetime prevalence of child sexual abuse and maltreatment in South Africa. Prior to this, no nationally representative data on the extent or impact of child sexual abuse existed. In order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the nature, extent and impact of child sexual abuse in the country, the study drew on two data sources: firstly, a population survey that was conducted with a sample of 15- to 17-year-old adolescents recruited nationally from schools (4 086 participants) as well as households (5 631 participants), and secondly an agency component that consisted of a series of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with frontline staff and agency directors servicing the communities or geographical spaces identified through the sampling process. Through a thorough exploration of these areas, the study identifies where resources can best be targeted, provides a local evidence base for the development of effective interventions, and identifies whether intervening in one form of abuse or neglect might also have the potential to address other forms of violence. Results The study results revealed that of the young people interviewed in schools, 35.4% – one in every three young people – had experienced some form of sexual abuse at some point in their lives. Figures from the household portion of the study are slightly lower, but confirm that the rates are high: in households, 26.3% – more than a quarter of young people interviewed – reported having experienced some form of sexual abuse. Since rates of reporting in the schools portion of the study are generally higher, indicating that disclosure of these very difficult experiences may have been easier in that context, we base our estimates on that sample. This means that a total of at least 784 967 young people in South Africa have been the victims of sexual abuse by the age of 17 years. A total of 351 214 cases of sexual abuse had occurred among 15- to 17-year-olds in the past year alone. The differences between males’ and females’ reported rates of abuse were not as stark in this South African study as they have been in other studies. In the school survey, boys (36.8%) were found to be slightly more likely than girls (33.9%) to report some form of sexual abuse. Previous research has almost unfailingly underscored the particular vulnerability of young girls to sexual abuse. The findings from this national prevalence study indicate that boys and girls are equally vulnerable to some form of sexual abuse over the course of their lifetimes, although those forms tend to be different for boys and for girls. The mean age at which girls first experienced sexual abuse was 14, while boys typically reported their first experience to be at the age of 15 years. One in 10 (11.3%) young people had experienced unwanted sexual touching by a known or unknown adult in their lifetime, based on reporting rates from the school survey. Based on reporting rates from the school survey, 9.4% of young people had been made to do sexual things against their will by another child or teen; 11.7% had experienced someone trying to force them to have sex; 12.9% had experienced exposure abuse; and 15.7% had had a sexual experience with someone 18 or older (some of which may have been consensual). These findings illustrate that while sexual abuse is slightly more likely to occur once in a young person's lifetime, in 40% of these cases, it occurs two or more times. In the school survey, 42.2% of respondents had experiIn the school survey, 42.2% of respondents had experienced some form of maltreatment (whether sexual, physical, emotional or neglect), while 82.0% reported experiencing some form of victimisation (whether criminal victimisation or exposure to family or community violence). By and large, girls and urban dwellers were more likely to report these experiences than boys and those living in rural areas. A number of factors were associated with an increased risk of sexual victimisation. These included living with neither or just one biological parent, parental absence either due to hospitalisation or prolonged illness, parental substance abuse, disability status of the child, as well as sleeping density (the number of teens or adults with whom the respondent shared a room). The study also highlighted the protective factors associated with a reduced risk of sexual victimisation. Parents’ knowledge of who young people spend their time with, and how they spend their time and where they go, were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of young people reporting that they had been victims of sexual abuse. In addition to this, warm and supportive parent-child relationships were also found to be significantly associated with lower risk for sexual victimisation, specifically for girls. Sexual abuse was dramatically and strongly associated with mental health symptoms: young people who reported having been sexually abused were more than twice as likely to report anxiety and depression, and three times as likely to report PTSD symptoms, as other young South Africans. One-fifth of children who have been sexually abused by adults are also likely to have problems with schoolwork or school attendance. Nearly a third of those sexually abused by a known adult reported having injuries as a result of this abuse, although in turn, only a third of those injured actually sought assistance. While fewer children who had been abused by an unknown adult were injured, they were far more likely to seek medical assistance. Respondents were unlikely to report incidents of sexual abuse to authorities. For instance, in cases where they reported sexual abuse by an adult they knew, only 31.0% of girls and no boys reported this to the police. Young males are especially disinclined to report, across all categories of abuse. Details: Zurich, SWIT: UBS Optimus Foundation, 2016. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2017 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/08_cjcp_report_2016_d.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 145129 |
Author: Mahamed, Mahamed Rage Title: Developing a Monitoring and Evaluation System for the Ceasefire Gang Violence programme in Hanover Park, Cape Town Summary: This study is a formative evaluation of the Ceasefire gang violence programme in Hanover Park, Cape Town, South Africa. The primary audience of this evaluation is the Ceasefire programme management. The Ceasefire programme is a project of the City of Cape Town's Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading Unit (VPUU). The Ceasefire programme is run by the First Community Resource Centre (FCRC) in Hanover Park. The main aim of this evaluation is to develop a results-based monitoring and evaluation system for the Ceasefire programme. This evaluation has responded to the following four evaluation questions: 1. What is the programme theory of the Ceasefire gang violence programme? 2. Is the Ceasefire programme theory plausible? 3. How can the Ceasefire gang violence programme be tailor-made to the South African Cape Flats gang violence context? 4. What is a proper result-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for the Ceasefire programme? To respond to the first evaluation question listed above, the Ceasefire programme documents and records were examined and interviews were held with the programme management. The information obtained through this research was used to develop an impact and process theory for the Ceasefire programme. The developed programme theory can be summarized in the following sentence: gang violence problem will be reduced in Hanover Park community if the Ceasefire Programme intervenes and interrupts gang violence at the street level, if the programme provides identified clients with behavioural modification training and refers them to social services and the programme educates the community to change their violent norms and values. To respond to the second evaluation question a literature review on approaches used to deal with gang violence problems in communities was conducted. In addition to this, evaluation findings of programmes that use gang violence approaches that are similar to the Ceasefire programme approach discussed. The reviewed literature has revealed that there are four common approaches that are used to solve the problem of gang violence in communities. These four approaches are prevention, intervention/disengagement, suppression/law enforcement, and multiple approach models. This dissertation has explained that the Ceasefire programme uses the multiple approach models to solve gang violence problems in Hanover Park. Furthermore, this dissertation has explained that programmes such as the Ceasefire programme that use the multiple approach models are plausible in reducing gang violence problems in communities. To respond to the third evaluation question listed above, a literature review was conducted to find out the causes of gang violence in the Cape Flats communities. The activities that the Ceasefire programme management have done to tailor the programme to the local context was also discussed. This information was used to make the following recommendations to further tailor the Ceasefire programme to the local context: To prevent the youth in the community who are at risk to join gangs and or involve in gang violence, the Ceasefire programme needs to develop a gang violence prevention outreach programme for the schools in the community which targets the school going youths. To help the individual gang members to exit their gang life and prevent them from involving in gang violence, the Ceasefire programme needs to establish a peer-to-peer outreach programme by employing rehabilitated programme participants who have graduated from the programme as peer educators for fellow gangs in the community. To facilitate the gangs to exit their gang life, the Ceasefire programme needs to provide a Safe House facility outside of the Hanover Park community for the programme participants who would like to exit their gang life. To further help the programme participants to abandon their gang life, the Ceasefire programme also needs to provide a tattoo removal service for the programme participants that would like the tattoos on their body to be removed. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town, 2013. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Master Dissertation: Accessed February 11, 2017 at: http://cureviolence.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/dissertation.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gang Violence Shelf Number: 145128 |
Author: Yousuf, Sarah Title: CeaseFire: Breaking Through the Impenetrable Gang World to Eradicate Violence Summary: Gang violence is a pervasive issue that adversely affects urban populations such as Cape Town. Though such violence is rooted in poor inner-city slums, its effects are far-reaching, with violence spilling over into other realms of society. Gang violence tears apart families and leaves communities to live in constant fear and intimidation of gangs. Numerous violence prevention initiatives have been developed throughout the decades to combat gangsterism and gang violence, yet no long-lasting strategy has been achieved thus far. Various explanations have been put forth as to why these programs are ultimately unsustainable, yet the same types of programs continuously re-emerge, only to be shut down because they have no appreciable effect on gang violence. Over the decades, a pattern of violence and violence prevention has developed. Typically, a spate of killings related to gang warfare occurs, the community's outcry leads to a short-term solution and the problem is temporarily abated. Within months, however, violence erupts yet again. This failed pattern repeats itself because the response to gang violence revolves around two core principles -- the community must become more active and involved with curbing gang violence, and law enforcement must be tougher on policing and apprehending the offenders. Absent from these solutions is the very source of the problem itself, fully engaging gangsters in a long-term solution to end the violence. Short-term solutions involve gang members in a very limited way, and only after a particularly notorious incident of gang violence has already occurred. For example, gang members have been repeatedly called upon to enter into conflict mediation and peace pacts so as to end gang warfare. As a result of these pacts, violence temporarily desists for a few months. However, no other support systems are put into place to ensure that the peace continues, and ultimately, violence breaks out again. Gang members have also been approached to engage in other pursuits besides gang activity, such as becoming involved in local football teams. Again, such solutions are merely hasty and immediate answers that avoid the more deeply-rooted and complex issues that these young adults face on a day-to-day basis. Playing football for a few hours does not address the problem of broken homes, drug addiction, and the trauma that comes with living in a violent culture. Nonetheless, the community sees any sort of engagement with gangs as a last resort to stopping crime and no attempts are made to have gang members reintegrate into society. Rather, the problem is seen as a war between gangs and the community. The other traditional solution, besides community involvement, is tougher law enforcement. However, the lack of manpower and resources available to the police, compounded with the fact that the police are viewed with suspicion in the Cape Flats, makes more effective law enforcement also difficult to sustain. Frustrated with the inappropriate response to gang violence by the police, communities have resorted to taking the law into their own hands, with organisations such as PAGAD forming. However, having organisations carry out their own form of vigilante justice can be dangerous. These organisations have been known to respond to gang violence by attacking gang members themselves, and the consequence has been that violence continued unabated. Such previous tactics focus on the notion that gangsters are thugs or skollies, who are condemned to a life of delinquency and violence. The tendency has been to pit the community against gangsters, and if gangs were to be a part of any solution, it must be with their minimal involvement. However, gang members need much more support by the community if gang violence is to be reduced. What is needed is a holistic community approach that centres around and actively includes gang members. Rather than just dealing with gangsters in a minimal fashion, it is necessary to engage them and motivate them to change themselves. CeaseFire is one such program that looks at gangsters in this light and is ground-breaking in its work. This paper evaluates the CeaseFire model within the context of the South African community that it operates in, Hanover Park. The CeaseFire model can work, because any community approach to addressing gang violence must include reaching out to gang members themselves. However, as the model itself affirms, this approach can only work within the context of an integrated community response. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town, 2013. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/item/4321/thesis_law_2013_yusuf_sarah.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Ceasefire Shelf Number: 145117 |
Author: Frank, Cheryl Title: Preventing violent extremism: South Africa's place in the world Summary: The prevention of violent extremism (PVE) has become a priority for the global community. This policy brief examines the global environment in terms of policy and implementation frameworks, and explores South Africa’s position in this prevention context. Recommendations are made as to how South Africa should take PVE forward, based on the risks in evidence at the moment. Key points 1 South Africa is in a fortunate position at this early stage to implement PVE programmes before problems relating to violent extremism increase and become more complex. As a start, evidence-based and sustained prevention programmes should address known risks. 2 South Africa should generate empirical evidence to better understand the national and local dynamics that relate to violent extremism, and utilise information beyond what is available through its intelligence structures. 3 National legislation and policy should be updated to take account of international and national trends in violent extremism, including how these trends might evolve in the future. 4 South Africa should participate actively in international institutions and discussion forums as a means of both sharing its own experiences and learning lessons from other contexts. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2016. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief no. 95: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief95.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Count-Terrorism Shelf Number: 140912 |
Author: Bruce, David Title: Commissioners and commanders: Police leadership and the Marikana massacre Summary: This monograph examines the functioning of the police system, with a focus on the leadership and command levels, in the build-up to the Marikana massacre on 16 August 2012, when police killed 34 miners who were striking at the Lonmin platinum mine at Marikana. It considers events up to about 15:30 on Thursday, 16 August, which is when police launched their tactical intervention during which the massacre took place. The monograph examines decision making and the exercise of authority and influence by senior leadership of the South African Police Service (the SAPS), particularly the senior national and provincial leaders (National Commissioner Phiyega and North West Provincial Commissioner Zukiswa Mbombo), and senior SAPS commanders (Major Generals Mpembe and Annandale). The key findings of the Marikana Commission are summarised, followed by an overview of the conflict at the mine in August 2012. This conflict involved the strikers, mine management and two unions, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU). The monograph outlines some of the aspects of this conflict, including questions about the political alignment of the parties involved and how the strike, launched on Thursday 9 August, rapidly escalated into violence. The monograph then focuses on two critical shifts in the SAPS approach to the Marikana situation. Both these shifts were linked to the involvement of SAPS senior leaders, Phiyega and Mbombo, and are likely to have been influenced by their interactions with Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa. The first shift was on Monday, 13 August, after two SAPS members were killed by strikers. The strike then became the focus of intense national political and media attention; national police commanders, planners and units were brought in and Public Order Police (POP) commanders were marginalised from the command system. The second shift was a decision made on Wednesday, 15 August, that police would take action against the strikers on the following day if the strikers refused to disarm. The section on operational matters focuses on some of the nuts and bolts of the operation. A discussion of the planning of the intervention is relevant to examining how the police understood the situation they were confronting. This is followed by an analysis of the negotiation process that focused on persuading the strikers to disarm. It examines the fact that the strikers refused to disarm unless Lonmin negotiated with them. The SAPS conveyed the strikers’ message to Lonmin but refrained from exerting any pressure on Lonmin to comply with the strikers' request. This section of the monograph examines how the decision taken by SAPS senior leadership on Wednesday, 15 August affected both the planning and negotiations processes. It also informs the analysis of the actions of the SAPS commanders that follows. The penultimate section of the monograph focuses on the role the two senior commanders, Mpembe and Annandale, played in the operation before the tactical intervention. It explores the role they played in implementing the decision that had been made by the SAPS senior leadership that Wednesday, and whether they exercised their authority appropriately in this respect. The conclusion draws together this discussion with a focus on questions raised in the monograph about the SAPS commanders at Marikana. It recognises that their actions were affected not only by the senior leadership decision made on Wednesday but also by shifts in the nature of the operation that took place on the Monday prior to this. These not only created ambiguity about what type of operation was being conducted but also resulted in a blurring of lines of authority. The monograph ends by highlighting key issues raised, including: • Police positioning in relation to social conflict and the potential impact of political pressure. • Ensuring that senior leaders of the SAPS, as well as other people in leadership roles, are appropriately qualified. • The nature of decision making in the SAPS. • How leadership and command are exercised in large-scale public order and crowd management operations as well as minimum standards for ensuring that such operations are carried out professionally and conform with crowd management principles. • The need for the SAPS to recognise the principle that, in actions by the police where the use of lethal force is anticipated police should seek to resolve situations effectively while minimising the potential for having to use lethal force. The principle applies to all police actions of this kind and not only to crowd management. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2017. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph No. 194: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/mono194-2.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crowd Control Shelf Number: 140903 |
Author: Omega Research Foundation Title: Compliance through pain: Electric shock equipment in South African prisons Summary: The authorization of various kinds of electric shock devices for use in South African prisons, are designed to enforce compliance through pain, incapacitation or fear of activation. However, their use has been associated with acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. This policy brief produces an overview of electric shock equipment and describes known harmful medical effects associated with its use. It highlights the use and misuse of these types of equipment in correctional institutions in South Africa, and outlines how and why this equipment is in breach of local, regional and international standards. This brief is designed to raise awareness of these concerns and to provide recommendations for change in how electric shock equipment is used in South Africa. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2016. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 86: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: http://dspace.africaportal.org/jspui/bitstream/123456789/35856/1/PolicyBrief86.pdf?1 Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Electric Shock Shelf Number: 147293 |
Author: Taheri-Keramati, Yashar Title: Drugs, Police Inefficiencies, and Gangsterism in Violently Impoverished Communities like Overcome Summary: This research establishes an understanding of the relationship between gangsterism, the drug commodity and inefficiencies in the state's policing institution, as well as the consequences of this relationship, in the context of Overcome squatter area in Cape Town. Overcome is representative of other violently impoverished Cape Town communities with its high rate of unemployment, low quality of education, domestic abuse, stagnant housing crisis, lack of access to intellectual and material resources or opportunities for personal growth, gangsterism, inefficient policing, substance-dependency, and violence. This research demonstrates that the current relationship between the gangs, drugs and the police fosters an unpredictable, violent environment, leaving residents in a constant state of vulnerability. The argument is developed around three key historical junctures in the development of organized crime in South Africa, starting with the growth of the mining industry in the Witwatersrand after 1886, followed by forced removals and prohibition like policies in Cape Town circa 1970, and finally the upheaval created around transition away from apartheid in 1994. Research for this paper was both quantitative and qualitative in nature, and included expert interviews on the subjects of police criminality, narcotic sales, and gangsterism. Newspapers articles, crime statistics, books, census figures, and a host of journals were also utilized. Upon reviewing a host of police inefficiencies and criminal collusions, the research concludes that public criminals related to the state, such as police, and private criminals, such as gangsters, work together in a multitude of ways in a bid to acquire wealth, most notably through an illicit drug market today dominated by 'tik'. It is shown that this violent narcotics market binds police and gangsters together at the expense of creating a state of insecurity for those living in poor drug markets. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 2013. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed March 6, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/item/3536/thesis_hsf_2013_taheri-keramati_y.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Drug Markets Shelf Number: 141342 |
Author: Sauls, Heidi Title: Young Boys Behind Bars: An ethnographic study of violence and care in South Africa Summary: This thesis is the result of an ethnographic study which had as its topic young boys who were awaiting trial for criminal activities behind bars in a secure care facility in South Africa. The chapters introduce some of the boys to the reader through case studies providing information about, who they are where they come from, why they were institutionalised and glimpses of what they endured in their daily lives outside the institution. The core of the thesis describes the social composition of a secure care facility and the daily activities and interactions that take place within its walls. We follow the boys in the trajectories they took inside and outside the criminal justice system, obtaining glimpses of the families, communities and staff with whom they come into contact. Overall, the study was guided by three main research questions. How are sociocultural and legal-political perceptions of violent children reflected in the infrastructural arrangements and regulations of places of safety (secure care facilities)? How are boys' daily lives in places of safety enacted? And how do institutionalised boys perceive themselves inside and outside the institution? The methodology of the study was steered by the structures of confinement of the secure care facility in which it was conducted. This type of institution functions simultaneously as a setting geared towards the safekeeping, caring and betterment of inmates and as a place of incarceration for keeping society at large safe from them. The emphasis of the study was on providing the reader with an in-depth understanding of these boys and the micro-world of the institution in which they find themselves. Central to the project were boys' own accounts of their lives, experiences, perceptions, aspirations and the reasons why they followed various strategies in navigating their social relations with staff and peers. Adopting this ethnographic perspective allowed for a thick description of day-to-day interactions in the institution. We start off with a description of the heavily bounded institution and how the mere process of gaining access to the boys and the institution was governed by strict rules and mediated by gatekeepers. Physically, the institution looked closed, imprisoning insiders and controlling access by outsiders; socially, its anatomy seemed fixed and hierarchical. However, the more data one acquires, the greater the number of cracks appeared in this image of inflexibility. The thesis then describes what happens when a new boy is admitted to the institution, the daily negotiations he is involved in during the early period of his incarceration, and the intricate social dynamics between the new and seasoned boys. Here, I highlighted the emotional turmoil that new boys frequently experience when having to transition from their communities and enter the facility. The process of being admitted and settling into the institution is intricate and volatile. The potential risks these new admissions are exposed to include verbal, physical and sexual abuse by their peers. What is commonly perceived as bullying, unnecessary violence and intimidation by others is a complex negotiation process for currency of power and the forging of hierarchical relationships between the incarcerated boys; of which new and seasoned boys are vulnerable. In the facility, it also became clear how power is fluid and ever-changing. Boys are found to constantly reflect upon their own positions in the hierarchy and institution and actively negotiate their status by acting upon other boys and staff. However, in the end power inequalities between boys and staff restrict their negotiating power. It is then revealed that once a boy is incarcerated, he is not permanently labelled a criminal. Rather, we see how perceiving and labelling (making and unmaking) incarcerated children as criminals or non-criminals is a fluid and negotiable process. It is the daily interactions among boys and staff in the institution that determines a boy's criminal status. These interactions are heavily influenced by subjective, moral appraisals by staff of a boy's behaviour. Daily interactions that determine boys' identities are also heavily dependent on the conditions (such as resources and competences) and contexts in which these interactions take place. Overall, the production and reproduction of labels related to a boy being a criminal or not influences and determines the management and experiences of the child in and outside the institution. It also influences the manner in which the boys respond to others and their environment. Such labelling of boys does not only influence how they are dealt with inside the institution but also the future decisions that either result in longer imprisonment or discharge from the institution. Yet, what appeared to be a distinct difference between the staff members who were assumed to possess power with clearly assigned roles compared to the boys, who were perceived as children, in need of adult care and supervision, in practice, it was evident that staff members use their power and interact with the boys very differently. This was clearly highlighted in the example of two staff members, reared in different ethnic groups, and their interaction with the boys. It was also interesting to witness how the different staff members' interaction developed and affected the boys. Here, I was able to explore the multiple dimensions that are at stake in the institutional interactions between staff and inmates on the ground, allowing for a fluidity of roles not covered by the classical picture of a clear distinction between staff members and inmates. How the staff members have been socialised in their own communities, what they expect of boys' behaviour, and what boys expect of them, do play a role in the interactions I observed. Factors such as the level of education, personal background and personality traits also influenced the interaction between the staff members and boys. I have shown how these differences are acted out in specific contexts within the daily life of the institution and how it leads to widely differing restrictions and opportunities for boys to act and express themselves, sometimes varying over the day, when shifts of caretakers replace one another. In contrast to the image of a total institution where rigid rules determine the relations between staff and inmates, this study displays the fluidity of the roles and positions of the boys and staff and how the various individuals enact and play out a particular image in particular interactions. Likewise, the study illustrates that there is a variety of ways that boys respond to their assigned position, of powerless children, in need of care. Occasionally, as we have seen, there is a relatively strong blurring of presupposed institutional identities. A striking example is the role-reversal in terms of caring. In the pre-institutional lives of the boys, in many ways, they exerted violence from a certain position of power, and many of them do not give up that position entirely within the institution. It is possible that it might also be the caring role the boys performed in their pre-institutional life (for instance, for their mother and other close family members) that influenced their role-playing in terms of care for certain staff members and for their peers. Caring for others, especially women, is related to the boys' perceptions of masculinity and their social roles as men, and taking up caring roles in the institution is what from their perspective, males are supposed to do. In short, staff and boys act and interact in the institution based on social dispositions, cultural backgrounds, educational levels and personality structures that they also displayed in their lives outside the institution. How strict or permeable the boundaries between social life inside and outside the institution, and between the roles and positions officially assigned to staff and boys, prove to be are context specific Details: Amsterdam: Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research , 2015. 135p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 10, 2017 at: https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/2482251/157427_Sauls_thesis_with_cover.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Detention Centers Shelf Number: 144763 |
Author: Norton, Marieke Title: At the Interface: Marine compliance inspectors at work in the Western Cape Summary: he Western Cape fisheries are heavily contested. Primary concerns in the contestations are over access to marine resources, which have been regulated through the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998. At the centre of these conflicts, is the figure of the marine compliance inspector, whose task is to enforce the states version of nature onto the collective of resource users. This thesis, based on 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork alongside inspectors of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Fisheries Branch in the Western Cape, explores the everyday human interactions on which the implementation of marine resource law depends. Exploring interactions between inspectors and resource users, the dissertation seeks to contribute to the task of reimagining fisheries governance. Drawing on ethnographic material deriving from participation in inspection duties; observations of fishing behaviour; conversations with inspectors, resource user and marine resource management officials; and analysis of texts such as relevant legislation and job descriptions, I argue that the issue of non-compliance in marine fisheries in the Western Cape can only be partially understood by the framework offered in extant South African compliance scholarship, which has focused largely on the motivations of resource extractors, or the formulation of law and policy. Given that compliance functions are part of the wider social spectrum of contestation and that the compliance inspectors are the interface between the government of South Africa and its fishing citizens, the study explores the real effects of state-citizen-nature contestations on environmental governance, and presents evidence in support of an argument that the design of the job of marine compliance inspector itself needs to be re-conceived. While compliance is a central feature of fisheries management, the performance of its personnel is taken for granted as the simple implementation of institutional policy, in a number of ways. Efforts to address conflicts will fall short of the goal of providing solutions if the assumptions about nature and humanity that current marine resource legislation embodies are not questioned, and this will exacerbate existing suffering in the ecology of relations between state, science, public and marine species. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: School of African and Gender Studies, Anthropology and Linguistics. Faculty of Humanities, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN , 2014. 210p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 20, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/12841 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Fishing Industry Shelf Number: 145059 |
Author: Ngwira, Callings Major Title: Human Trafficking in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa Summary: Human trafficking has been reported to be on the increase in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa with girls as young as ten years old being trafficked from and within the Province for sexual and labour purposes, and marriage. Human traffickers operate in rural areas, small towns and cities such as Port Elizabeth and East London. However, research on the role of the law enforcement authorities and the civil society organisations in the fight against trafficking in Eastern Cape Province is largely unknown. Situated within the Security Governance Theory, and using the intensive research design, this research reports on the role of the law enforcement authorities and the civil society organisations in the fight against human trafficking in Eastern Cape Province with emphasis on rural-urban differentiation. The challenges which law enforcement authorities and the civil society organisations faced are also discussed. The study, among other things, found that both the law enforcement sector and civil society organisations in the Province ensured that security, criminal justice, physical, emotional, psychological, health and spiritual needs of rescued victims of trafficking were met. The study further established that there was little progress in the fight against human trafficking, more especially in the rural areas of the Province, due to inadequate cooperation among anti-trafficking organisations and the lack of resources. Details: Alice, South Africa: University of Fort Hare, 2011. 191p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 22, 2017 at: http://libdspace.ufh.ac.za/bitstream/handle/20.500.11837/706/Ngwira%20(M%20Sc)%20Geography.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Human Trafficking Shelf Number: 145168 |
Author: South Africa Department of Correctional Services Title: White Paper on Remand Detention Management in South Africa Summary: This White Paper on Remand Detention seeks to add to the 2005 White Paper on Corrections by dealing with inmates who constitute on average one third of the total population at DCS facilities but who were not adequately catered for in the White Paper on Corrections. An additional number of RDs are accommodated in DSD and SAPS facilities. The responsibility of the DCS for those in remand detention follows a decision by Cabinet in 2009 to deal with the management of awaiting-trial detainees (as remand detainees were previously known) by creating a branch within the DCS for this category of inmates. This required an alignment of existing legislation and policies as remand detainees pose very distinct and unique challenges compared to the population of sentenced offenders. Discussions within the JCPS Cluster as well as with external stakeholders led to the development of a White Paper as well as an amendment to the Correctional Services Act in the form of the Correctional Matters Amendment Act, 2011 (Act No 5 of 2011)(CMAA). The CMAA included a review of the definition of awaiting-trial inmates, wearing of uniform for remand detainees, management of terminally ill inmates, temporary surrendering of detainees to SAPS custody and a determination of the maximum period of detention for which a person could remain in remand detention. The Act was passed on 25 May 2011, which led to a further alignment of the White Paper with the Act. This White Paper communicates the principles that drive the Detention Management of Remand Detainees, drawn from local and international laws, and conclude that remand detention is not punitive, occurs as a result of an order of a court of law, is managed with the highest possible ethical and professional standards, and that detainees have to be informed of their rights and obligations and are separated from sentenced inmates. The principles further state that remand detention requires greater levels of effectiveness and integration in the criminal justice system and that institutions should be subject to oversight and control. Overall, the White Paper is based on the constitutional right that a person charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty and shall be treated as such. Remand Detention Facilities must therefore allow for the minimal limitation of an individual's rights, while ensuring secure and safe custody. Personnel must be trained in human development, in the rights of persons in the criminal justice system process, and in secure and safe custody. Details: Pretoria: Department of Correctional Services, 2014. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2017 at: http://www.dcs.gov.za/docs/landing/White%20Paper%20on%20Remand%20Detention%20Management%20in%20South%20Africa.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Pretrial Detention Shelf Number: 145204 |
Author: De Greef, Kimon Title: The booming illegal abalone fishery in Hangberg: Tough lessons for small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa Summary: Marine capture fisheries around the world are widely perceived to be in a state of crisis, with growing recognition that conventional resource-centred management strategies are insufficient to counter ongoing problems of over-exploitation. This is considered particularly true in the small‐scale sector, which employs the overwhelming majority of the world's fishers but has historically been overlooked. To manage marine resources more sustainably, new approaches to fisheries governance have been sought that recognise the complex nature of fisheries systems, paying attention to the social dimensions of fisheries management in addition to important ecological processes. In South Africa, many of these new approaches have been embraced in a recently adopted policy for the small-scale sector. Attempts to reform marine fisheries have been ongoing in the country since the end of apartheid (a system of legalised racial segregation and white supremacy that ruled for almost 50 years) but have largely failed to bring meaningful change to impoverished fishing communities. Frustration at ineffective reform has contributed to widespread non-compliance - most notably in the abalone fishery, which has collapsed in the face of rampant poaching, driven by a lucrative, illegal export market to the Far East. Although the new small-scale fisheries (SSF) policy has been hailed as a progressive shift in thinking, questions remain about how it is to be implemented. One major challenge will be dealing with illegal fishing. The purpose of this study, was to profile the human dimensions of abalone poaching in the Cape Town fishing community of Hangberg and to draw lessons for implementing the new SSF policy. A qualitative multi-method research approach, based mainly on unstructured interviews and participant observation, was used to access the clandestine fishery and investigate its historical development, current structure, scale and methods of operation and main socio-economic drivers and impacts. It was found that abalone poaching has become deeply embedded in Hangberg, having evolved into a highly organized boat-based fishery in a period of less than 15 years. At least five local poaching groups - representing some 250 individuals in total - currently used dedicated high-powered vessels to access reefs around the Cape Peninsula. Profits earned from poaching are substantial but vary, with poachers operating according to a loose hierarchy and performing a range of different tasks in the fishery. This variation notwithstanding, the illegal fishery appears to have become a mainstay of the impoverished local economy, funding poachers' expensive lifestyles, in addition to contributing more meaningfully to the livelihoods of an estimated 1000 residents. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 2013. 117p Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 6, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/9187 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Abalone Shelf Number: 145344 |
Author: Westervelt, Carline Title: The Insecurity of Security: A study on the effects of community policing initiatives in Cape Town's townships Summary: South Africa has always been known for its violent society. Even after the Apartheid era ended, violence remained very visible in everyday life of an ordinary South African. Even though the country is moving forward and is often seen as one of the most prosperous countries in the whole continent - demonstrated by the fact it is part of the BRICS2 countries - , it does not seem to get rid of its violent past. The South African Police Service (SAPS) has made some significant changes but is struggling with the sudden change from oppressing the political opposition to fighting crime. The SAPS does not seem to cope with the ever growing demand for their services; they arrive hours late or not at all, are ill equipped and have received too little training (Shaw 2002). Even though they are trying to improve their service constantly, they just do not deliver what is asked from them. Mainly because of this malfunctioning of the police service, a lot of different providers of safety and security have arisen: private security guards and companies, neighbourhood watches, street patrols and many more. Most of these initiatives are still monitored by the government, but there are also policing organisations/groups that are the initiative of the community itself. Details: Utrecht, NETH: Utrecht University, 2012. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 18, 2017 at; https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/254170 Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Community Policing Shelf Number: 131366 |
Author: Muchapondwa, Edwin Title: Abalone Conservation in the Presence of Drug Use and Corruption: Implications for Its Management in South Africa Summary: The illegal exploitation of wild abalone in South Africa has been escalating since 1994, despite increased enforcement, leading to collapse in some sections of its range. South Africa banned all wild abalone fishing in 2008 but controversially reopened it in 2010. This paper formulates a poacher's model, taking into account the realities of the abalone terrain in South Africa-the prevalence of bribery, corruption, use of recreational drugs, and the high value of abalone-to explore why poaching has not subsided. The paper suggests two additional measures that might help ameliorate the situation: eliminating the demand side through enforcement targeted on organized crime, and ceding the resource to the local coastal communities. However, local communities need to be empowered to deal with organised crime groups. Complementary measures to bring back community patriotism will also be needed given the tattered social fabric of the local coastal communities. Details: s.l.: Environment for Development, 2012. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper Series 12-15: Accessed May 19, 2017 at: http://www.rff.org/files/sharepoint/WorkImages/Download/EfD-DP-12-15.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Abalone Shelf Number: 145632 |
Author: Ndwamato, Awelani Title: Housing Layout Design and Crime Reduction in RDP Developments: A Case Study of Chesterville, Durban in Kwazulu Natal Summary: It is argued that housing designs and layout systems for crime prevention can have either positive or negative implications on the actual prevention of crime. Therefore, this research explores the exact implications that housing designs and layout systems have in relation to crime in RDP development neighbourhoods. Various principles such as defensible space principles and crime prevention through environmental design are emphasized in this study: Surveillance, territoriality, access control, image and milieu. Other supporting characteristics like housing design principles including housing structures, support activities and gated communities are highly elaborated, as well as street layout. These analytical criteria were used to examine the Chesterville RDP developments. Procedurally, the evaluation entailed analysing both street layout and housing design and analysing the views and perceptions of people living in the area. The findings indicate that residents of Chesterville display high level of perception of safety although they do acknowledge that there is petty crime once in a while. The researcher asserts that overall housing design and layout systems for crime prevention have positive implications on crime reduction in residential areas. The study also investigated the type of criminal activities that occur in the area. The study analysed the types of criminal activities which were related to housing and layout in Chesterville RDP developments. Data was collected by conducting household surveys and an interview with the community leader. Local and international case studies that were used revealed interesting scenarios of the usage of environmental design to aid crime prevention. In the context of Chesterville the main findings showed that there is a sense safety in the area although assault was found to be high. The study thus proposed recommendations in an attempt to improve crime reduction in Chesterville as a whole. This dissertation is structured as follows: The chapter one introduces the research problem, research questions, hypothesis, and the research method used to conduct the study. Chapter two provides both the theoretical framework and the literature review for the topic being studied. International and national case studies are used to support the flow of the argument. Chapter three introduces the geographical and historical background of case studies in which the study was conducted. This historical background is linked to the topic of study to help to understand the phenomenon of crime prevention. Chapter four deals with the presentation and analysis of data collected and in chapter five conclusions are drawn from the findings and recommendations are made. Details: Durban, South Africa: University of Kwazulu Natal, 2013. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 23, 2017 at: http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/11244 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: CPTED Shelf Number: 145747 |
Author: Thobane, Mahlogonolo Stephina Title: The Criminal Career of Armed Robbers with Specific Reference to Cash-In-Transit Robberies Summary: Criminal career research postulates that offending behaviour develops over time during the course of one's life. Thus, delinquency is not an isolated incident which occurs at a certain moment in time. This research comprises a mixed-method study of the criminal career of 40 offenders who perpetrated robberies against the banking and CIT industries. Through this research, an exploration is made for possibilities of using criminal career research to develop results which will guide crime prevention policies. The qualitative methodology used for this research included semi-structured interviews in order to collect information on motivations of armed robbers and the various mechanics (i.e. planning, recruitment, group dynamics) of the crime of armed robbery. Through the use of structured questionnaires, biographical data, information on risk factors and figures on the different aspects of a criminal career, such as age of offending onset, offending frequency and seriousness, and career length, were all gathered. The general findings of this research demonstrate that offending onset occurs between the ages of 11 and 15 with petty crimes, and then escalates to serious crimes. Secondly, witnessed throughout the dissertation is the fact that development of delinquent behaviour is not a result of a single risk factor but an outcome of multiple risk factors. Subsequently, a suggestion is made for the introduction of multifaceted deterrence programmes, which will holistically deal with the various offending risk factors (i.e. family, community and the offender's personal risk factors as well as peer and school dynamics). Thirdly, armed robbers are responsible for various other crimes in the process of committing the offence of robbery. Accordingly, this study confirms the criminal career notion that a small number of chronic offenders are responsible for a large number of offences. That is why it is recommended that policy makers pay attention to disrupting the criminal career of this small number of high risk offender. Details: Cape Town: University of South Africa, 2014. 287p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 23, 2017 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/18353 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Armed Robbery Shelf Number: 145748 |
Author: South African Cities Network (SACN) Title: State of Urban Safety in South Africa Report 2016 Summary: There is a growing understanding, both globally and in South Africa, that cities or metros need to play clear roles in advancing urban safety. The Urban Safety Reference Group (USRG), with the technical support of the South Africa Cities Network (SACN) and the GIZ Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention (VCP) programme, has emerged as a key mechanism and platform for coordination and advocacy on urban safety. Cities have distinct safety challenges and tend to experience higher rates of crime, which have implications for their growth, development and quality of life. As a result of poor planning and socioeconomic factors, low-income areas, such as townships and informal settlements, suffer from particularly poor levels of safety. This uneven spatial distribution of safety affects the overall inclusivity, efficiency and functioning of cities. To address the social, economic, spatial and political drivers of violence and crime will require integrated approaches that go beyond conventional security and policing. Resource allocation is essential to the success of such approaches, and so a greater focus is needed on how the fiscal set-up can and should enable safety. Targeted interventions should be supported by consistent, long-term urban safety policies that are comprehensive, cross-sectoral and set out the competencies, responsibilities and accountability of local governments, as well as other spheres of government and other role-players such as civil society. Details: Johannesburg: SACN, 2016. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2017 at: http://www.sacities.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/PDF/SACN-Urban-Safety-2016-Report.pdf.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 145807 |
Author: Mills, Elizabeth Title: Turning the Tide: The Role of Collective Action for Addressing Structural and Gender-based Violence in South Africa Summary: The case study discussed in this Evidence Report explores the value and limitations of collective action in challenging the community, political, social and economic institutions that reinforce harmful masculinities and gender norms related to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). As such, the concept of structural violence is used to locate SGBV in a social, economic and political context that draws histories of entrenched inequalities in South Africa into the present. The research findings reinforce a relational and constructed understanding of gender emphasising that gender norms can be reconfigured and positively transformed. We argue that this transformation can be catalysed through networked and multidimensional strategies of collective action that engage the personal agency of men and women and their interpersonal relationships at multiple levels and across boundaries of social class, race and gender. This collectivity needs to be conscious of and engaged with the structural inequalities that deeply influence trajectories of change. Citizens and civil society must work with the institutions - political, religious, social and economic - that reinforce structural violence in order to ensure their accountability in ending SGBV. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2015. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Evidence Report No. 118: Accessed May 27, 2017 at: https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/5858/ER118_TurningtheTide.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gender-Based Violence Shelf Number: 145830 |
Author: Cachalia, Raeesah Cassim Title: Violent extremism in South Africa: Assessing the current threat Summary: Transnational extremist groups are expanding their networks across the globe. South Africa has been linked to al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda and, more recently, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, with 60-100 South Africans estimated to have joined the group. The country also has a history of violent extremism stemming from domestic grievances that remain prevalent. Based on interviews with 40 stakeholders, this brief examines the threat that violent extremism poses to South Africa and the government's response to this challenge. Recent years have shown the threat of violent extremism to be increasingly fluid in nature, and this development has challenged states to review their approach to the issue. While South Africa has not experienced a terrorist attack in over a decade, it is not immune to the global challenges posed by violent extremism. In the years following the 9/11 attacks in the United States (US), several allegations have emerged linking South Africa to international extremist organisations, along with incidents suggesting that South Africa has served as an operational base for individuals connected to extremist groups abroad. In addition, terror alerts issued by the US Diplomatic Mission to South Africa over the last two years have caused concern over potential attacks in the country. In 2014 the reach of international extremism became evident when reports emerged of South Africans travelling to the Middle East to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). South Africa has also faced local extremist threats, with the last known plot thwarted in 2012 when a far-right group planned an attack on the African National Congress' National Conference in Manguang. Collectively, these events have raised a number of questions around violent extremism in South Africa and the state's capacity to respond. While the threats previously posed by domestic extremist groups have diminished, new concerns have emerged relating to international extremist groups. This policy brief provides an overview of South Africa's post-apartheid experience of violent extremism and assesses the threat that violent extremism currently poses to the country. It also provides a brief overview of government responses to the challenge and highlights emerging concerns for violent extremism in South Africa. This policy brief examines preventing violent extremism as it relates to South Africa as an actor in the global community. This is one of a series of three focusing on violent extremism and South Africa. Details: Institute for Security Studies, 2017. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief, 2017: Accessed May 27, 2017 at: http://www.css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/resources/docs/ISS_Africa-sareport7.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Extremist Groups Shelf Number: 145835 |
Author: Ward, Catherine L. Title: Youth Violence: Sources and Solutions in South Africa Summary: In 2025, governments of many developed countries will have published reports noting how 10-20 years of programming to address root causes and risk factors for violence has brought youth homicide rates down from around five per 100 000 to less than one per 100 000 population. The reports will highlight the economic dividends paid by these prevention investments in the shape of increased economic productivity and reduced criminal justice, health and social sector costs of responding to violence, and the human and social benefits of people feeling safer and more secure at home, on the street, at school and at work. The plausibility of this scenario arises from the fact that, in 2010, programmes to stop violence from occurring in the first place shifted in many developed countries from being 'innovative' to becoming part of mainstream policy and budgeting. This scenario also begs the question as to what, in 2025, governments in today's developing countries will be writing in their annual reports. Will these reports bemoan how violence and crime, driven by the surging demand for and access of young people to alcohol, drugs and guns, have spiralled out of control? Will they lament how the collapse of the family, the unravelling of positive social relationships, and increasing economic and social inequalities are to blame? Or will they talk in more empowered and optimistic terms of how the recognition of evidence-based prevention in the first decade of the twenty-first century galvanised a prevention commitment that has helped to at least stabilise and in some instances significantly decrease youth violence rates? If the action recommendations in Youth Violence: Sources and Solutions in South Africa are actually implemented - whether in South Africa or in any other developing country - then the latter empowered and optimistic scenario for 2025 can perhaps become reality. Details: Claremont, South Africa: UTC Press, 2010. 426p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 16, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/item/2154/Youth_Violence_Sources.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Developing Countries Shelf Number: 126309 |
Author: van Schalkwyk, Lin Title: (Re)Framing Gangsterism in the Western Cape: Facilitating a Dialogue between Local Government and Ex-Gang Members Summary: One of the earliest Roman deities was a god named Janus. Within ancient Roman religion, Janus was "the god of the beginnings and the ends" and was believed to preside "over every entrance and departure" (Wasson, 2015, para. 5). Every door and every passageway was thought to be guarded by Janus. He was, (as I like to believe) 'the god of the thresholds'. Insofar as each threshold holds the existence of two worlds, i.e. the world that exists before the threshold and the world that exists beyond it, Janus was also believed to have two faces - one for each of the two worlds he presided over. And so he later became known as "the god who looked both ways" (Wasson, 2015, para. 5). Today, we still refer to Janus and his two-faced nature, although no longer with sole reference to his deity. We now call upon Janus in our attempts to conceive of dissonance. We refer to things as Janus-faced when we assert that it has two (often contradicting sides); sides that each tell a different story and that each look out on a different truth. We call on Janus to describe polarity, to illustrate the existence of two different interpretative spaces, often standing in contrast or tension with one another. And it is here, precisely within the recognition of this modern-day Janus, that I first embarked on the writing of this dissertation. The current dissertation was motivated by a deep-felt acknowledgement of the Janus-faced realities facing my home province in Western Cape, South Africa. Often, as I had worked on this study, I could see in my mind's eye - Janus, standing there - presiding over the social landscapes of the Cape. There I imagined him, guarding the many thresholds that divide social prosperity from social decay; his two faces painted in the style of theatre masks - showing both a laughing and a weeping face. Looking one way, he sees a South African province with foreigners "lounging on palm-lined Camps Bay beach, gazing at the steep mountains framed by gossamer clouds" (Pinnock, 2016, p.2). Looking the other way, he observes countless drug wars, human trafficking, rival gang-shoot-outs and poverty, no more than a stone throw away from where the lounging foreigners sit (Pinnock, 2016). This dissertation is not about the Western Cape's elegance, grandeur or charm. It is about facing the world of tragedy and social decay that lies on the other side. Taken even further, it is about recognizing that there is in fact no 'other side'. There is no 'other world' to be denied or silenced by those in the Western Cape who are lucky enough to not suffer from it. There is only but one Western Cape, albeit one of relentless disparities. And so I argue that there is an urgent need for both these worlds to acknowledge each other; to engage and to be accountable to one another. For as far as the Western Cape belongs to all its citizens, there will be no victory in denial. Details: Tilburg, NETH: Tilburg University, 2016. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 16, 2017 at: http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=142103 Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 146203 |
Author: Lutchminarain, Natasha Title: Safety as a Priority at Shopping Centres in Gauteng: An assessment of existing security measures Summary: Violent crime and more specifically armed robberies constitute a growing threat to shopping centres in terms of their vulnerability to such criminal acts. These violent crimes are becoming ever more organised and sophisticated. Shopping centres across South Africa have become the latest targets for these syndicates. Due to the increasing number of armed robberies and violent crimes at shopping centres and the nature of violence used in these attacks, it points to a need for improvements to be made to the security measures that are in place at shopping centres. This study explored the risks and vulnerabilities at shopping centres that have led to the phenomenon of armed robberies at shopping centres in Gauteng; evaluated the current physical protection systems that are in place at shopping centres in Gauteng in order to assist with the reduction of shopping centre armed robberies; and recommendations were made for the implementation of effective security risk control measures at shopping centre's across South Africa and specifically the province of Gauteng. Self-administered questionnaire surveys were used to explore the phenomenon from the perspectives of both retail employees and customers. The data collected from the questionnaires, utilising the non-experimental research design, were quantitatively analysed. Based on the findings from the study recommendations for the improvement of shopping centre security were formulated along with recommendations for future research. Details: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2015. 188p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2017 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/19862/Lutchminarain_n_dissertation.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Armed Robbery Shelf Number: 146232 |
Author: Molefe, Innocentia Nthabeleng Title: The Policing of taxi violence in Stanger area Summary: This research was aimed at exploring how taxi violence could be policed effectively within Stanger area. To achieve the objectives of this study the researcher interrogated the strategies that the police use in dealing with taxi violence as well as the impact and the challenges that are faced by police officials regarding this phenomenon. The researcher adopted a qualitative research approach in order to increase her understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and beliefs related to taxi violence within Stanger area. The non-probability purposive sample method was used to select the research participants and the focus was on the research participants' experience and knowledge of the subject matter. The researcher also used semi-structured interviews in order to resolve specific questions. The findings were that most of the taxi violence remained unresolved within Stanger area because witnesses were afraid to come forward with information regardless of the anonymous hotline that was created to encourage the reporting of this violence. Consequently, because of a shortage of manpower, resources, uncooperative witnesses and knowledge of matters concerning taxi permits the police and other law enforcement agencies in the area are mainly reactive in attending to taxi violence crimes. The lack of proactivity hampers the success of the initiatives that they (police) put in place to address taxi violence in Stanger. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2016. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 28, 2017 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/22198/dissertation_molefe_in.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Taxi Violence Shelf Number: 146439 |
Author: Goga, Khalil Title: Rhino poaching and Rhino Horn Traffic in South Africa Summary: While rhino poaching has often been portrayed as a conflict between 'dark' and 'bright' agents, the reality of the trade is far more complex and compromises a host of actors in a variety of fields in legitimate and illegitimate spheres. As it is explained in this document, it is critical to understand the participation of agents operating within lawful public and private positions, who participate in various activities from the poaching to the final consumption and use of the rhino horn. Details: Bogota: VORTEX Foundation, 2017. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: The Global Observatory of Transnational Criminal Networks - Research Paper No. 9. VORTEX Working Papers No. 23: Accessed July 5, 2017 at: http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/522e46_838df24339064fcf9a0a510bb1ebed18.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 146506 |
Author: Goga, Khalil Title: Background on South Africa, Rhino Poaching and Rhino Horn Trafficking Summary: The purpose of this descriptive document is to present relevant background information about South Africa and the criminal markets of rhino poaching and rhino horn traffic. The document consists of seven parts related to South Africa: (i) An introduction to relevant economic and political characteristics, (ii) relevant crime rates, (iii) an introduction to relevant characteristics of organized crime, (iv) a background and description of the rhino horn market, (v) an introduction to the police and enforcement agencies that investigate and prosecute rhino poaching and rhino horn traffic, (vi) statistics of arrests related to rhino poaching and (vii) a conclusion. Details: Bogota: VORTEX Foundation, 2017. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: The Global Observatory of Transnational Criminal Networks - Research Paper No. 8. VORTEX Working Papers No. 22: Accessed July 5, 2017 at: http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/522e46_b3f5958be5a64ce19c1fd2f42fb6424d.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 146507 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Race, gender and socio-economic status in law enforcement in South Africa - are there worrying signs? Summary: In the South African context the right to equality has particular significance given the country's history of statutory unfair racial discrimination. This paper investigates, based on quantitative data, how different sub-sets in the South African population experiences law enforcement. Accepting that formal and procedural discrimination according to race was entrenched under apartheid, especially in law enforcement, the paper enquires if different population sub-sets experience different criminal justice outcomes. Despite shortcomings in the data, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that there is reason to be concerned and that further research is required. The most reliable evidence of different outcomes in respect of race and gender is the profile of the prison population. Coloured people (adults) have a much higher rate of imprisonment (1932/100 000) than any other population group. Africans (adults) are imprisoned at a rate of 1042/100 000 while Indian and White adults are imprisoned at a rate of around 160/100 000. The high imprisonment rate for the Coloured population requires further research, but there is reason to conclude that the reasons are (at least) historical in nature as a result of the use of forced prison labour in the Western and Northern Cape and the high levels of institutionalisation of Coloured boys by the previous regime after WWII. The different population groups and genders also experience pre-trial detention differently, with Coloured females standing the highest chance of being detained pre-trial and White females the lowest chance. Although arrest data is not available per population group, a number of observations are made. The majority of the 1.6 million arrests made in 2011/12 were for non-priority crimes. If women and children are excluded from the arrest data it was calculated that one out of every 13 South African adult men were arrested in 2011/12. Arrest and detention place poor people at the risk of further marginalisation and exclusion, and when arrests and detention are concentrated in particular geographical areas, the effect becomes structural and inter-generational in those areas. There is little doubt that poor African and Coloured South Africans experience law enforcement, and ultimately the risk of pre-trial detention and imprisonment, very differently from Indians and Whites. Transforming the criminal justice system would require that the performance of the police and courts be assessed to determine why the trends created during apartheid apparently still persist and what steps need to be taken at policy and practice levels to turn this around. Twenty years after the end of apartheid it is simply not acceptable to practice criminal justice without asking questions about how the poor and historically disadvantaged are affected by the system that is supposed to make society safer. Details: South Africa: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) c/o Community Law Centre, 2013. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2017 at: http://acjr.org.za/resource-centre/Inequality%20paper.pdf Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Justice Reform Shelf Number: 146702 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: Understanding impunity in the South African law enforcement agencies Summary: This paper analyses the underlying structural and functional reasons for de facto impunity in South African law enforcement with specific reference to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). While the legislative framework presents no major obstacles to holding state officials accountable for gross rights violations, it remains a rare event that officials are prosecuted and convicted for assault, torture and actions resulting in the death of criminal suspects and prisoners. The paper argues that the reasons for prevailing impunity in respect of rights violations perpetrated by state officials are found across a broad spectrum. These relate firstly to South Africa's historical development and in particular the security forces inherited by the Government of National Unity (GNU) in 1994. The failure by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to prosecute apartheid-era perpetrators of rights violations following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) set a particular benchmark that left victims frustrated and, more importantly, a prosecutorial approach tolerant of rights violations. Important legal and policy developments in the police and prison system faltered in material ways and this further undermined accountability. Post-1994 governments' response to or lack thereof, in respect of obligations under international human rights law and treaty monitoring bodies left much to be desired, thus further strengthening a perception that the state is not accountable. At the functional level it is argued that the state has failed to regard the high incidence of rights violations as a systemic problem and rather opted to focus on managing the media fall-out when high profile violations surface. The manner in which the NPA has dealt with rights violations perpetrated by law enforcement officials clearly indicate that it is reluctant to prosecute, but it has also not been called to account for this trend and explain the reasons why recommendations by oversight structures to prosecute are in the overwhelming majority of cases not followed. Impunity is also enabled by the erratic enforcement of the internal disciplinary codes in SAPS and DCS. Statistics show great variation from year to year, indicative that managers in these two departments do not enforcement discipline in a consistent manner. With reference to designated oversight structures, it is observed that recommendations to these two departments are seldom followed. This is particularly the case with SAPS and the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). Civil litigation against the two departments in respect of rights violations result in substantial costs to the tax payer, yet the two departments have not regarded this as the result of systemic problems and opted to contest these claims individually. As a result of de facto impunity, law enforcement is increasingly suffering from a legitimacy crisis and public confidence in these institutions are probably at all-time low. To address impunity it is required that transparency and accountability be strengthened to ensure that the transformative ideals of the Constitution are realised. Details: South Africa: Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative (CSPRI) c/o Community Law Centre, 2013. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2017 at: http://acjr.org.za/resource-centre/understanding-impunity-in-the-south-african-law-enforcement-agencies Year: 2013 Country: South Africa Keywords: Corrections Officers Shelf Number: 146703 |
Author: Rolfes, Michael T Sas Title: The Rhino Poaching Crisis: A Market Analysis Summary: This paper started out as a response to the question: "What has caused the recent upsurge in rhino poaching in South Africa?" In writing my opinion on this, I decided to provide some background information, both technical and historical. And once I had provided my best answer, I felt inspired to add a few comments on possible solutions. Before addressing the central question (in Part 2) of this paper, in Part 1 I discuss the factors driving rhino poaching and the market for rhino horn, including some essential aspects relating to the role of Asian tradition. I also discuss important technical concepts such as the meaning of market size and the persistence of demand and why these are relevant. Part 2 begins with some historical context and describes what has happened in the rhino horn market over the decades leading up to the poaching spike. I then address the main question and consider the role played by the South African wildlife industry. Part 3 considers the policy implications of what we know about the market. If our objective is to reduce wild rhino poaching, what are our best options? At the end of the paper is a one page summary of suggested answers to the main question. All the material in this paper can be supported by specific references, which I will provide on request Details: Unpublished paper, 2012. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 8, 2017 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/133/1331370813.pdf Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 146779 |
Author: Langenberg, Mieke Title: Soccer & Sex: A polyvocal case study of the effects of the FIFA World Cup 2010 on South Africa's Sex Industry Summary: To answer this research question a polyphonic driven mode of research has been used. This qualitative method privileged all these competing voices at work and captured a more nuanced understanding of competing perspectives about the effects of the World Cup for South Africa's sex industry. Several methods to gather data have been used; a literature study, participant observation and in depth interviews. Next to the examination of existing literature, during the fieldwork period 79 newspaper articles have been collected that discuss the sex industry in relation to the World Cup. The largest share of the empirical data however, has been gathered by means of in-depth interviews with members of the several groups taken into account in this study about the effects of the World Cup on the sex industry. This study has shown that five effects of the World Cup on the sex industry have occurred on two different levels. Firstly, on the macro level, the World Cup has been used by several NGO's as a springboard for the expression of the stances in the debate about decriminalisation, in consequence the debate about decriminalization of sex work has been cranked up. Both pro- and contra parties have used the World Cup to raise awareness and gain attention for their opinions. The NGO's Not for Sale and the Activist Network against the Exploitation of Child Domestic Workers took a more neutral stance in this debate and state that NGOs need to start working together; they should not only look at the issues they do not agree on, but should focus on things they do agree on. Secondly, on the macro level the World Cup has also been used to raise awareness to fight human trafficking; the global event has led to an increase of the number of campaigns to fight human trafficking set up by NGO's in Cape Town. Due to these campaigns the issue has been put on the agenda. However, the campaigns that have been set up overlap each other and have the same character. Furthermore, the NGO's have used the hype created by the media to gain more attention for this issue. However, this hype has been exaggerated and therefore several experts have warned for a negative resource allocation of the state. Details: Nijmegen: Radboud University Nijmegen, 2011. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Ehesis: Accessed August 22, 2017 at: http://theses.ubn.ru.nl/handle/123456789/2959 Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Prostitutes Shelf Number: 131739 |
Author: Muntingh, Lukas Title: An Analytical Study of South African Prison Reform after 1994 Summary: The history of prison reform after 1994 was shaped by the relationship between governance and human rights standards; the requirements for both are set out in the Constitution and elaborated on in the Correctional Services Act. Good governance and human rights converge in five dimensions of a constitutional democracy: legitimacy, transparency, accountability, the rule of law; and resource utilisation. The new constitutional order established a set of governance and rights requirements for the prison system demanding fundamental reform. It de-legitimised the existing prison system and thus placed it in a crisis. This required its reinvention to establish a system compatible with constitutional demands. The thesis investigates whether constitutionalism provided the necessary transformative basis for prison reform in South Africa after 1994. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) senior management failed to anticipate this in the period 1990 to 1994. In the five years after 1994 senior management equally failed to initiate a fundamental reform process. This lack of vision, as well as a number of external factors relating to the state of the public service in the period 1994 to 2000, gave rise to a second crisis: the collapse of order and discipline in the DCS. By the late 1990s the state had lost control of the DCS and its internal workings can be described as a mess - a highly interactive set of problems in causal relationships. In many regards the problems beleaguering the prison system were created in the period 1994 - 1999. The leadership at the time did not recognize that the prison system was in crisis or that the crisis presented an opportunity for fundamental reform. The new democratic order demanded constitutional and political imagination, but this failed to materialise. Consequently, the role and function of imprisonment within the criminal justice system has remained fundamentally unchanged and there has not been a critical re-examination of its purpose, save that the criminal justice system has become more punitive. Several investigations (1998-2006) into the DCS found widespread corruption and rights violations. Organised labour understood transformation primarily as the racial transformation of the staff corps and embarked on an organised campaign to seize control of management and key positions. This introduced a culture of lawlessness, enabling widespread corruption. w leadership by 2001 and facing pressure from the national government, the DCS responded to the situation by focusing on corruption and on regaining control of the Department. A number of gains have been made since then, especially after 2004. Regaining control of the Department focused on addressing systemic weaknesses, enforcing the disciplinary code and defining a new employer-employee relationship. This has been a slow process with notable setbacks, but it continues to form part of the Department's strategic direction. It is concluded that the DCS has engaged with and developed a deeper understanding of its constitutional obligations insofar as they pertain to governance requirements in the Constitution. However, compliance with human rights standards had not received the same attention and areas of substantial non-compliance remain in violation of the Constitution and subordinate legislation. Overcrowding, violations of personal safety, poor services and/or lack of access to services persist. Despite the detailed rights standards set out in the Correctional Services Act, there is little to indicate that legislative compliance is an overt focus for the DCS. While meeting the minimum standards of humane detention, as required by the Constitution, should have been the strategic focus of the DCS in relation to the prison population, the 2004 White Paper defines "offender rehabilitation" as the core business of the DCS. In many regards the DCS has assigned more prominence and weight to the White Paper than to its obligations under the Correctional Services Act. In an attempt to legitimise the prison system, the DCS defined for itself a goal that is required neither by the Constitution nor the Correctional Services Act. Compliance with the minimum standards of humane detention must be regarded as a prerequisite for successful interventions to reduce future criminality. After seven years, delivery results on the rehabilitation objective have been minimal and not objectively measurable. The noble and over-ambitious focus on rehabilitation at policy level distracted the DCS from its primary constitutional obligation, namely to ensure safe and humane custody under conditions of human dignity Throughout the period (1994 to 2012) the DCS has been suspicious if not dismissive of advice, guidance and at times orders (including court orders) offered or given by external stakeholders. Its relationship with civil society organisations remain strained and there is no formal structure for interaction. Since 2004 Parliament has reasserted its authority over the DCS, not hesitating to criticise poor decisions and sub-standard performance. Civil society organisations have increasingly used Parliament as a platform for raising concerns about prison reform. Litigation by civil society and prisoners has also been used on a growing scale to ensure legislative compliance. It is concluded that prison reform efforts needs to refocus on he rights requirements set out in the Correctional Services Act and approach this task in an inclusive, transparent and accountable manner. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of the Western Cape, 2012. 523p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 28, 2017 at: http://etd.uwc.ac.za/xmlui/handle/11394/2952 Year: 2012 Country: South Africa Keywords: Correctional Administration Shelf Number: 146914 |
Author: Fourie, Mariette Emmerentia Title: South African female prisoners' experiences of the Sycamore Tree Project with strength-based activities Summary: The Sycamore Tree Project (STP) was originally developed by Prison Fellowship to assist prisoners to take responsibility for their crimes and to understand the meaning of constructs such as forgiveness, confession and repentance. For the purpose of this research, the STP was adapted to include strength-based activities. The aim of this study was therefore to explore and describe South African female prisoners' experiences of the STP with strength-based activities. An explorative and descriptive qualitative research design was applied. The participants were sampled through the use of a voluntary, purposive sampling technique and included 19 (n = 19) female offenders between 20 and 65 years of age. Data were collected through written narratives and the world cafe method and thematically analysed. The results identify two main themes from the narratives (experiences of the STP as a whole and experiences of the strength-based activities) and four main themes from the world cafe (experiences of STP with strength-based activities, new discoveries as a result of participation in the STP with strength-based activities, experiences of strength-based activities and recommendations regarding the STP with strength-based activities) Details: Potchefstroom, South Africa: North-West University, 2014. 169p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 28, 2017 at: http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/handle/10394/25363 Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Correctional Programs Shelf Number: 146921 |
Author: Shaw, Mark Title: Gangs, violence and the role of women and girls: Emerging themes and policy and programme options drawn from interviews with female gang members in Cape Town Summary: The focus of this Policy Note is specifically on the role of women and girls in gangs as an opportunity to examine whether a more "gendered" response to the phenomenon of gangsterism could have success. The case study for the research was the gangs of Cape Town, a city not only with a historical problem of gangs, but one where recent trends have showed a dramatic upswing in violence, both within and between gangs. Cape Town was chosen largely because it offered the possibility, through the network of the Global Initiative and its links to the University of Cape Town, for interviewing female gang members in a way that would have been difficult to achieve elsewhere. Cape Town now displays violence - at a level of 60 homicides per 100,000 residents for 2015/16 ' that is consistent with many cities in Latin and Central America that have had longstanding challenges with gangs. In Cape Town, violence is closely linked to changes within the city's drug economy in marginalised areas, and the introduction of a flood of firearms (ironically many from police stores) from 2010. This has exacerbated conflict between gangs and increased the ability of smaller and new gangs - who have obtained access to weapons - to both enter and expand their drug operations. The result is a fluid and violent environment, although this is generally confined to previously marginalised so-called 'coloured' or mixed race areas of the city. It goes without saying, however, that the human cost and suffering has been enormous, with some parts of the city having homicide rates of over 100 deaths per 100,000 people with innocent bystanders, including children, often caught in the crossfire (see Shaw and Kriegler 2016). While the nature of gangsterism in Cape Town has been analysed in a variety of academic studies (see most recently Pinnock 2016), a focus on women and girls within the gangs has largely been missing. Studies where female gang members are interviewed are also relatively rare. That is partly because of the difficulties of accessing female gang members, given that male members act as "gatekeepers" and that gang culture more generally prevents gang members from engaging easily and openly with outsiders. The Policy Note briefly outlines the methodology used to approach and interview female gang members. It then summarises the core themes that emerged from the discussions with the girls and women. Finally, building on this analysis, it provides a framework for developing a policy response as well as ideas for programme interventions. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2017. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Note: Accessed August 30, 2017 at: http://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/tgiatoc-women-in-gangs-policy-note-1837-lo-res1.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Female Gang Members Shelf Number: 146953 |
Author: Stevens, Garth Raymond Title: Men and meanings of murder: Discourses and power in narratives of male homicide in South Africa Summary: The extant South African literature base on male homicide is relatively small and reveals a paucity of qualitative studies. This study aimed to elicit discourses embedded within the narratives of men involved in homicidal encounters, and to analyse them from a social constructionist perspective. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted with 30 male prisoners who were convicted of murder. An analysis of narrative forms, followed by a critical discourse analysis of the narrative contents, was conducted and aimed to assess the social and ideological significance, functions and effects of these discourses. Participants' talk included masculine performances that allowed for positive self-presentation and ways of constructing meaning of their actions for themselves, the interviewer and an 'invisible audience'. Narrative forms of stability/continuity, decline, and transformation/growth that relied on normalising, reifying, tipping point, propitiatory and rehabilitatory lexical registers were deployed as a means to position participants as reasonable, normal, rehabilitated, and as 'successful' men. Within the narrative contents, participants constructed homicide through exculpatory and justificatory discourses to rationalise and minimise their agency, and drew on essentialist, moral and deterministic notions of male violence. Discourses of spectacular and instrumental violence were also evident. References to male honour, status and power; a defence against emasculation; the assertion of control over commodified female partners; the maintenance of referent familist and ageist discourses; and the normalisation of male violence as a utilitarian tool to access resources in unequal social contexts, underpinned these discourses. The homicidal acts thus represented adapted performances of hegemonic masculinity in a noxious context where this dominant form of masculinity is often unattainable. While participants' talk reproduced hegemonic constructions of masculinity within broader social contexts, it also contested hegemonic orders of moral discourses that govern the legitimacy or illegitimacy of violence. The findings reveal how contexts of discoursal production have a contradictory response to violence - denouncing it, but also simultaneously acting as a pernicious incubatory environment for male homicide. It concludes that the prevention of male homicide must involve the de-linking of masculinities and violence at material, structural and institutional levels, but also within systems of signification, if non-violent masculinities are to gain ascendancy. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: University of South Africa, 2008. 352p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 7, 2017 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/2014 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Homicides Shelf Number: 147152 |
Author: Cornelius, Rukia Title: Coming Together to End Gender Violence: Report of Deliberative Engagements with Stakeholders on the Issue of Collective Action to Address Sexual and Gender-based Violence, and the Role of Men and Boys, October 2014, Cape Town, South Africa Summary: In South Africa, this violence pervades the political, economic and social structures of society and is driven by strongly patriarchal social norms and complex and intersectional power inequalities, including those of gender, race, class and sexuality. Gender inequality can therefore be understood as legitimating violence, as well as being further established by the use of such violence. Intervening in this relationship presents a complex challenge. This report is based on one of three Department for International Development (DFID)-funded case studies carried out in 2014 at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) through the Empowerment of Women and Girls Programme. The three countries covered were India, Sierra Leone and South Africa. A workshop drawing together the main findings across these countries will take place in February 2015 with the aim of developing a set of cross-cutting lessons and recommendations on ending SGBV through collective action, including by men and boys. By placing a particular emphasis on alliance-based approaches in working towards social and gender justice, the South African case study, along with those conducted in India and Sierra Leone, sought to explore how collective action contributes to addressing the structural inequalities and discriminatory social norms that perpetuate SGBV, and the role of men and boys in enabling transformative change. Details: Brighton, UK:Institute of Development Studies, 2015. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Evidence Report No. 112: Accessed September 9, 2017 at: https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/5782/ER112_ComingTogethertoEndGenderViolence.pdf;jsessionid=38554F1216179BE533B913B09EB0ACF2?sequence=1 Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Abusive Men Shelf Number: 147198 |
Author: Berg, Julie Title: Regulating Private Security in South Africa: Context, challenges and recommendations Summary: This paper provides an overview of current oversight and accountability mechanisms for the private security industry, including past regulatory provisions. It examines the challenges and limitations of these mechanisms and highlights potential areas of focus to strengthen accountability in the private security industry, concluding with recommendations. Details: African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Paper: Accessed September 12, 2017 at: http://www.criminology.uct.ac.za/usr/criminology/news/APCOF.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 125106 |
Author: Torgersen, Jonas Sorflaten Title: Crime, Culture and Collecting: The Illicit Cycad market in South Africa Summary: It is widely accepted that illicit markets are driven by specific contextual factors that determine their nature and scope. Two points in particular have not been explored in the literature on wildlife crime. First, while illicit markets around commodities such as drugs and weapons are fuelled by consumers arguably in need of, or addicted to, the product, the desires of buyers that shape wildlife markets are often shaped by cultural norms which may seem irrational to outsiders. Second, given that wildlife markets are seldom as stringently regulated as those in respect of drugs, weapons or other commodities, the nature of the criminal enterprises that source, move and sell the products are possibly very different. The study examines these two factors - the culture of markets and the degree of criminal enterprise or organisation within them - through a case study of a largely unexamined environmental crime market in South Africa, that of rare cycad plants. Cycads are widely exploited, moved and sold in the country by a network of increasingly criminalised operations. State action against these markets is not a priority and has had only few successes in limiting the trade of an increasingly scarce plant. A detailed examination of the market and its consumers suggests that it is strongly shaped by a particular South African culture which draws on (often mythical) connections to the land, including its fauna and flora. Ironically, those active in the market argue that their objective for doing so is conservation, even if illicit collections are the prime threat to the species. Although the academic and conservation community have attempted to develop and implement conservation tools and strategies, limited law enforcement and regulatory mechanisms have produced a flexible illicit market where a set of intermediaries play the key role. While the market shows signs of internal competition, it operates relatively openly, and does not display the levels of violence of other criminal markets in similar stages of development. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town, 2017. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 16, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/25048 Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cycads Shelf Number: 147361 |
Author: Goga, Khalil Title: Using social network analysis to understand the interactions of a Cape Town gang Summary: This case study uses social network analysis to study the interactions of a criminal network operating in a township outside Cape Town. Data was gathered from a court judgment following the trial. Code names are used throughout the study as many of those involved in the trial are appealing their sentences. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 272: Accessed September 27, 2017 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper272V2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Networks Shelf Number: 147470 |
Author: Beetar, Matthew David Title: Transcontinental Lives: Intersections of Homophobia and Xenophobia in South Africa Summary: This thesis focuses on prejudice located at the intersections of sexuality and nationality. Drawing on mixed qualitative research sessions involving men who are 'LGBTI migrants' from African countries, and who are living in South Africa, the thesis offers three overarching points of focus. Firstly, it contextualises and critiques historical state structures and attitudes which shape understandings of identity in South Africa. Secondly, it analyses everyday experiences of xenophobia and homophobia, as experienced by 'LGBTI' people who have migrated to the country for a variety of reasons. Finally, it locates these experiences within the structures identified and, based on participant-led discussions, offers a framework for understanding and suggestions for meaningful intervention. Using an overarching critical perspective of intersectionality and queer necropolitics I argue that contemporary South Africa fosters an image of inclusivity and exceptionalism that is vastly at odds with reality. In everyday spaces 'LGBTI migrants' are often forced to 'switch' between being either African or LGBTI. However, I argue that through journey-derived questioning of both Africanness and Queerness these processes of switching foreground hope and action. These are rooted in values of solidarity and community which extend, for fleeting moments, beyond labels and beyond geographic boundaries. Through a reconciled merging of these seemingly opposed subjectivities I argue that insight is offered into life beyond, yet within, national structures. In this way the participants exhibit an 'African Queerness/Queer Africanness' which shifts them beyond necropolitical death and towards transcontinental life. I ultimately argue that this may be harnessed as a tool to intellectually, and practically, render Africa as a site of (African) queer potentiality. I suggest that LGBTI migrants, through their embodiment of a specific transcontinental future, are pioneers in revealing this potentiality. Details: Brighton, UK: University of Sussex, 2017. 2332p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 17, 2017 at: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/70453/ Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bias Crimes Shelf Number: 147690 |
Author: Harris, Kirsten Title: An Exploratory Study of Congolese "Bouncers" in Cape Town: constructing masculine identities in liminal spaces Summary: The intended purpose of the following thesis was to explore and attempt to understand how Congolese Bouncers, specifically in Cape Town, construct their own masculine identities in liminal spaces. This exploration entailed examining the complexities and connections between immigrants, immigrant bouncers and masculine identities; within those areas, encompassing a multitude of periphery factors. The literature reviewed for this thesis then encompassed research on immigrants in South Africa, masculinities and masculine identities, bouncers, and illegal substances; individually as well as the correlations between and amongst the different areas. Thus, the following thesis consists of five chapters, with three, identified, key themes set out in individual chapters. A Foucauldian framework was used as a means of synthesising the often divergent areas of thought, as, at their core, they share concerns with knowledge, power, violence (in various forms) and identity. In the attempt to understand the subjective experiences and realities of these Congolese bouncers, the methodology employed for the collection of data was entirely qualitative in nature; specifically, that of phenomenological research. This method was situated within the (social) constructivist paradigm, used to guide the researcher in understanding "a phenomenon from the perspective of those experiencing it" (Constantino, 2008:119); using participant observation and interviewing as the primary forms of data collection. Upon listening to the individual "stories" and lived realities of the research participants, one of the key understandings in the conclusion of this thesis is that the "immigrant bouncer", in a South African context, exists in different realities. His identity, and more specifically his construction of masculinity, is divided by necessity between day and night. An identity that is constantly shifted and adapted to unfixed social structures. Through this research the hope is to create space for an alternative discussion which disrupts current conceptions around both immigrants and bouncers. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 2017. 95p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 2, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/24895 Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Alcohol-Related Crime, Disorder Shelf Number: 147961 |
Author: Machisa, Mercilene Title: Rape Justice in South Africa: Retrospective Study of the Investigation, Prosecution And Adjudication Of Reported Rape Cases From 2012 Summary: Background - Rape is a significant societal and public health problem in South Africa. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act No. 32 of 2007 provides a legal framework for responding to sexual offences and an integrated response framework for victim-friendly service provision including the prescription of directives for the different actors within the criminal justice system. While the legislation was enacted to ensure recourse for victims and the retribution against rape perpetrators, not every reported case is concluded with a verdict from a trial and many of these are not guilty verdicts. Various factors infl uence the progression of cases within the criminal justice system, some of which may be amenable to intervention with positive effect. An understanding of these factors is critical for improving the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in securing justice for victims of rape. Study aims This national study aimed to describe patterns of attrition of rape cases during their progression through the criminal justice system and factors associated with this, and to generate recommendations for strengthening the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of cases. The study's additional objectives were to understand more about the decision making of prosecutors in taking cases to trial, using interviews and to understand how cases proceed in trial and how judgements are made, through an analysis of trial transcripts. Methods The main study was based on an analysis of a nationally representative, randomly selected sample of rape cases opened by the police in the year 2012. The sample was made up of 3952 cases of rape reported in the year 2012 at 170 police stations across the country. The cases were selected through a multistage random sampling approach that involved first randomly selecting 170 police stations from 1164 police stations in the nine provinces using probability proportionate to size. At the selected police stations, a maximum of 30 cases were systematically selected from the list of all rape cases reported at the station in 2012. The dockets for the selected cases were drawn from the docket stores and researchers abstracted data from them using structured data abstraction tools. Researchers also scanned copies of J88 forms where they were available in dockets. They captured the court case numbers of the cases, where available, and these were used to request charge sheets and transcripts at the respective courts where cases were referred for prosecution or heard. Data from the J88 forms and court transcripts were also abstracted using structured tools developed for the work. Researchers handed out questionnaires to Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit members working with cases from the selected police stations to measure sociodemographic characteristics, availability of vehicles, specialist training, work stress and prevailing gender attitudes. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with 13 prosecutors and 6 Legal Aid Board attorneys working with rape cases in Gauteng province. Quantitative data analyses methods used included descriptive statistics and logistic regression modelling to test factors associated with different outcomes. Qualitative data analyses used content analysis. Details: Pretoria, South Africa. Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, 2017. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2017 at: https://www.wits.ac.za/media/wits-university/faculties-and-schools/commerce-law-and-management/research-entities/cals/documents/programmes/gender/RAPSSA%20REPORT%20FIN1%2018072017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Investigation Shelf Number: 148022 |
Author: Gould, Chandre Title: Reducing Violence in South Africa: From Policing to Prevention Summary: South Africa's National Development Plan envisages that by 2030 'people living in South Africa should feel safe and have no fear of crime'. The contraction of the economy in 2017 and the likelihood that government budgets will grow ever tighter over the next few years creates an urgent imperative to ensure that we are addressing the need for South Africans to be and feel safe in the most cost-effective, sustainable way. South Africa is one of the 10 most violent countries in the world, despite having achieved massive reductions in homicide levels since 1994. Murder has increased annually over the past four years (2012/13-2015/16). This raises the question of whether the emphasis placed on policing and the criminal justice system to address crime and violence over the past 10 years has been the right policy choice. This policy brief argues that to see the long-term trend towards lower violence levels sustained, and improved upon, we have to radically shift how we spend state resources and what we spend them on. In short, we need to increase our investment in preventive social programmes that reduce the risk factors for violence while professionalising policing. This policy brief provides an overview of the current expenditure on the criminal justice system and private security and looks at what this has achieved. It also looks at what is known about spending on violence-prevention programming and shows that while we are spending over R126.71 billion a year on the criminal justice system, only R9 billion is being spent by the state on programmes that can prevent violence. We now have evidence from South Africa to show that preventing violent crime (especially interpersonal violence) and breaking entrenched cycles of violence is essential to growing the economy and improving the nation's health, behavioural and social outcomes. In the long term prevention is more cost-effective than responding to violence after it has occurred. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2017. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief: Accessed November 7, 2017 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief106.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Costs of Criminal Justice Shelf Number: 148049 |
Author: Meyer, Melissa Isabella Title: Let's Talk About Sext" Gendered Millennial Perceptions of Sexting in a Cyborg Society Summary: In a cyborg society where people exist both organically and via technology, sexual expression and interaction via technology has become 'normal'. The controversy surrounding sexting stems from contemporary literature and media portraying it as coercive, harmful and unacceptable, with particular reference to young females. Qualitative data on this phenomenon is extremely limited and biased, potentially resulting in unjust limitations and restrictions. This study investigates Millennial sexting behaviour by considering general and gendered perceptions of sexting to better understand the phenomenon; its risks, benefits, and the practice itself. An exploratory mixed methods study amongst university students (N = 579) revealed expected and unexpected findings. Respondents acknowledged sexting's risks, while the benefits of and motivations for sexting were emphasised with little evidence of negative pressure. It is argued that the benefits of sexting greatly outweigh the potential risks, but moreover, that sexting is a primarily feminist practice that holds much promise. The need for sextual education and awareness of sext-consent is examined, as theoretical and policy implications are discussed. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, Centre of Cape Town, 2016. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed December 5, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/20774 Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Computers Shelf Number: 148708 |
Author: Dreke, Dayana Title: Evaluation of a Youth Empowerment Programme for Youth-At-Risk: A case study of the Chrysalis Academy in Cape Town, South Africa Summary: This thesis seeks to answer the research question, if and how youth-oriented empowerment trainings like the one of the Chrysalis Academy are able to contribute positively to the social integration of 'youth-at-risk'. The theoretical framework as the basis for the empirical field research includes the key concepts 'youth-at-risk', 'socialization/social integration', empowerment and resiliency. Using socialization theories, Gidden's sociological structuration theory and Amartya Sen's approach of development as freedom, the researcher assesses the Chrysalis Academy's empowerment training as an alternative socialization process that aims at developing 'youth-at-risk' into self-aware, resilient and integrated role models with expanded choices. The research methodology utilized is the case study, combining different quantitative and qualitative research methods as participant observation, questionnaires, face-to-face interviews as well as focus group interviews to evaluate the long-term impact of the empowerment training from the graduates' perspective. The outcomes of the data collection and analysis confirm the hypothesis that the Chrysalis Academy's empowerment training has a positive effect on integrating young people 'at-risk',also through the higher level of resiliency that enables them to cope better with their challenging environments. To sum up, the Chrysalis Academy presents a good practice example for empowering 'youth-at-risk', however, it still needs to improve its aftercare program for the graduates to achieve sustainable success Details: Cape Town: University of the Western Cape, 2008. 125p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed January 31, 2018 at: http://etd.uwc.ac.za/xmlui/handle/11394/3729 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: At-Risk Youth Shelf Number: 148943 |
Author: Evans, Donna Title: The Policing of Sex Work In South Africa A Research Report On The Human Rights Challenges Across Two South African Provinces Summary: Within a context where gender-based violence (GBV) is endemic, sex workers in South Africa experience particular vulnerabilities to systematic violence, abuse, extortion, rape, and even torture. The criminalisation of sex work in South Africa enables an environment where sex workers are subject to numerous human rights violations, including discrimination, harassment, and abuse at the hands of Police Officers. Police corruption and violence is recognised as a problem in many areas of South Africa, but sex workers are particularly vulnerable to the violation of their legal, labour, and human rights by police, with little access to redress. Details: Cape Town, South Africe: Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke) and SWEAT, 2017. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2018 at: http://genderjustice.org.za/publication/the-policing-of-sex-work-in-south-africa/ Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gender-Based Violence Shelf Number: 149550 |
Author: Steinberg, Jonny Title: Nongoloza's Children: Western Cape prison gangs during and after apartheid Summary: Over the past two decades, news of the strange world behind the bars of South Africa's prisons has been spilling out in dribs and drabs. Among the things we have learned is that the so-called "Number gangs"-the 26s, 27s and 28s-are about 100 years old, that they originated in the jails, mine compounds and informal settlements of turn-of-thecentury Johannesburg, and that today they constitute a formidable force in every prison across the country. We know that the Number gangs take their inspiration from the real historical figure who founded them, Nongoloza Mathebula, an early Johannesburg bandit who built a quasi-military band of outlaws, welding his small army together with a simple but potent ideology of banditry-as-anti-colonial-resistance. We know, too, that the Number gangs have been the vehicle of an extraordinarily durable oral tradition; the imaginary uniforms, weapons and paraphernalia that Number gangsters carry today are all faithful representations of the uniforms, weapons and paraphernalia of the Boer and British armies of the late 19th-century Transvaal. The arcane and finely observed military and judicial hierarchies of the 28s and the 27s are precisely those invented by Nongoloza and described in the life testimony he dictated to a prison warder in 1912.1 We know, too, that the world of the Number gangs is one of staggering brutality. Its self-styled judiciaries sentence inmates to death, to gang rape, to beatings with prison mugs, padlocks and bars of soap; among the prerequisites of joining the "soldier lines" of the gangs is the taking of a warder's or a non-gangster's blood; leaving a prison gang, sharing a gang's secrets with a warder, or talking casually about the gang's workings to the non-initiated are all punishable crimes. Finally, we know that sexual relations between prison gangsters and their lovers are highly stylised, caricaturing the most pungently misogynist relationship imaginable between a man and a woman. The passive partner in an archetypal prison relationship is stripped of the jail equivalent of his juridical personhood: he is not allowed to conduct commerce or to leave the cell without his partner's permission; he cooks for his partner, makes his bed, washes his back and cuts his toenails. 2 Yet, despite the growing body of information available to us, our knowledge of South African prison gangs remains inadequate. What we have are slivers of narrative, ritual and myth, disconnected from the context that gives them meaning. What we do not have is an analysis of the relationship between prison gangs and the institution that animates them in the first place: the prison itself. This lacuna has been unavoidable. Until the early 1990s, South African prisons were entirely closed institutions. Reportage on the conditions in jails was effectively illegal until the mid-1980s. Until 1990, the courts kept prison administration at arm's length, giving the Commissioner of Prisons almost unlimited power, including the power to regulate information.3 And the gangs themselves were, of course, sworn to a vow of silence. Two research projects conducted in the 1980s did, however, make concerted and valuable attempts to understand prisons gangs in their institutional context. Fink Haysom's thesis-that the gangs' quasi-military structure is an extreme parody of the apartheid prison system itself-is, as we shall see, a powerful and lasting insight. 4 Lotter and Schurink's thesis-that gangs militate against the psychological and material pains of imprisonment-is also of lasting value. 5 However, given the closed conditions of the 1980s, these studies, which should have become a foundation for further research, were left standing as two islands in a sea of incomprehension. It is only in recent years, with the opening of the jails to researchers and observers, and the intrusion of the rule of law in the running of prisons, that it has become possible to study the substance of prison life with any seriousness. And it is only in understanding the substance of prison life that the strange narratives and rituals of South Africa's prison gangs can possibly make sense. Details: Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/correctional/nongolozaschildren.pdf Year: 2004 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 115815 |
Author: Steinberg, Jonny Title: The illicit abalone trade in South Africa Summary: In the first 20 years following the introduction of a quota on abalone harvesting in 1970, poaching existed but was contained. This changed dramatically in the early 1990s. Within a couple of years, the illicit perlemoen trade had become a highly organised, multimillion-dollar industry, controlled by street gangs on the shoreline and by transnational enterprises on the trade routes to East Asia. As a result of this binge of illegal harvesting, South Africa's stock of wild perlemoen today stands on the brink of extinction. This paper explores why the illicit abalone trade took off so dramatically in the 1990s and chronicles the attempts of various enforcement agencies to contain it. We evaluate which measures may have worked, which may still work, and which were doomed from the start. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2005. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 105: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/105.PDF Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Abalone Shelf Number: 106991 |
Author: Steinberg, Jonny Title: After the Commandos. The Future of Rural Policing in South Africa Summary: In February 2003, President Thabo Mbeki announced that the South African National Defence Force's (SANDF) Territorial Reserve, popularly known as the Commandos, would be phased out. This phasing out process is now well underway. By the end of 2009, the last of South Africa's 183 Commandos will have ceased operating, their rural crime prevention and borderline control functions taken over by the South African Police Service (SAPS). The task of this monograph is to assess the rural safety capacity that will be lost with the closing of the Commandos, and to discuss the manner in which the SAPS will replace that capacity. To this end, we conducted fieldwork in the three Commando jurisdictions: Ladybrand in the eastern Free State, De Mist in Eastern Cape, and West Rand and Gatsrand Commando areas in Gauteng. Commando strength is uneven. In Ladybrand, for instance, commercial farmers are actively involved in a number of grassroots security initiatives, primarily in defence of their commercial property, but the Commando is a marginal player in these initiatives. Moreover, the farming community is deeply divided over how the borderline with Lesotho ought to be policed, and, by proxy, over the role the Commando ought to play in borderline control. The De Mist Commando in Eastern Cape, by contrast, is highly organised, has a large active membership, and a clear and uncontested rural crime prevention programme. It is the dominant player in rural crime prevention; most police stations in its jurisdiction invest the lion's share of their resources in urban policing. In the West Rand, there is a strong identification between white farmers and the Commando, primarily as a result of the Commando's competence in policing agricultural crimes. We ask whether the Commandos are representative of rural South Africa, and argue that they are not; their function is primarily to protect the property and interests of the rural middle class. This is not necessarily illegitimate. Rural South Africa is deeply divided, by race, by inequality, and by a great deal of history. Asking a security agency to bridge these divides is asking too much; security agencies can neither mend souls nor conduct projects of social engineering. A more pertinent question to ask is whether the Commandos can make an effective contribution to policing agricultural crimes while not invading the privacy and violating the dignity of other rural constituencies. We argue that when deployed inappropriately, Commandos can indeed be destructive of social harmony and wellbeing, but that when deployed correctly they are both effective and benign. Finally, we argue that the policing of agricultural crimes, and of the rural sectors of small town police stations more generally, is likely to deteriorate after the closure of the Commandos. However, we do not pretend to offer easy solutions to the problem. The matter is by its nature a difficult one. All police services exercise discretion in deciding which aspects of policing to prioritise. In the SAPS, this discretion is exercised primarily at a national level. Area and station level managers are given quantifiable crime reduction and police action targets to meet. At present, the highest priority crimes in the SAPS are contact crimes, and are attached to an annual crime reduction target of seven percent. This is a normative, value-laden decision, and a commendable one at that. In small town police stations, however, the policing of rural sectors will suffer as a result. Many of these stations straddle a sharp divide between urban and rural areas. Most contact crimes are committed in urban sectors. If and when the capacity contained in the Commandos is transferred to the police, area and station level managers are bound to transfer much of this capacity from the rural sectors in which it is now deployed to urban sectors. Not to do so would be to respond irrationally to their own performance indicators. Prioritising the policing of, say, aggravated robbery over sheep theft is not just understandable but commendable. The SAPS should be aware though that there are places where its existing organisational incentives might, unless checked, result in situations where agricultural crimes are almost entirely unpoliced. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2005. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph Series, No. 120: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/120FULL.PDF Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Agricultural Crime Shelf Number: 100558 |
Author: Steinberg, Jonny Title: Drug smuggling and border control at Johannesburg International Airport and Durban Harbour Summary: The purpose of this paper is to describe the state of border control at Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) and Durban Harbour in regard to the detection of drugs smuggling. Before beginning the main business of the paper, though, a word on context is necessary. What is the state of the southern African drug market? What is coming in, going out, and being transhipped? Which drugs enter and leave by air, by sea and by land, and which by all three? What sort of quantities are we talking about? All of these questions are notoriously difficult to answer. The size of illicit drug markets is measured by the rate and quantity of seizures, by changes in the rate of drug arrests, changes in retail prices, by the anecdotal intelligence of investigators, street cops and prosecutors, and by the self-reporting of consumers. The last of these, selfreporting, is the most accurate, but only when data is collected through rigorous and systematic sampling. No drug consumption researcher has ever sampled for the total South African population. The short answer, then, is that we do not know nearly enough about the South African drugs market. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2005. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 104: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/99201/104.pdf Year: 2005 Country: South Africa Keywords: Airport Security Shelf Number: 149675 |
Author: Steinberg, Jonny Title: Sector Policing on the West Rand: Three Case Studies Summary: In December 2003 SAPS National Commissioner Jackie Selebi issued a Draft National Instruction on sector policing. This monograph examines how sector policing has been interpreted and implemented on the West Rand. Sectors in the three station precincts are studied - Randfontein, Roodepoort and Kagiso. Sector policing - international and domestic context Sector policing emerged in the early 1970s as one among a host of experiments to address a crisis in American policing. Police leaders and scholars had gone right back to basics and asked what it is that the police do to reduce crime. The endeavour to answer this question has produced a host of policing innovations in the last 30 years. These innovations can be divided into four categories: 1) hotspot or targeted patrolling, 2) controlling risk factors, 3) problem-oriented policing (POP), and 4) community policing (COP). Sector policing is an eclectic composite. It includes COP and POP as its core, definitional components, but it usually includes targeted patrolling and risk factor identification as well. COP is a form of policing that mobilises civilians into crime prevention projects. It has been successful when trained on specific problems. POP borrows from the philosophy of public health interventions and applies it to policing. It 'vaccinates' an area against micro-crime patterns by identifying and managing their causes. The form sector policing takes is shaped in no small part by the host policing culture that receives it. In recent years, South African policing has been characterised by a strong, active national centre, and uneven policing on the ground. The SAPS has come increasingly to rely on high density, high visibility paramilitary policing operations - precisely the sort of policing that a force with a strong centre and weak personnel can execute with accomplishment. Sector policing has been billed as a project to transcend these limitations - to restore grassroots policing. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2004. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph No. 110: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://oldsite.issafrica.org/uploads/Mono110.pdf Year: 2004 Country: South Africa Keywords: Community Policing Shelf Number: 149685 |
Author: Hsiao, Celia Title: Reducing violence in South Africa: From research to action Summary: Preventing and reducing violence in South Africa must be a national priority if the country is to realise the development goals set by the National Development Plan 2030. Violence exacts an enormous cost - both directly and indirectly - and will undermine and hamper efforts to reduce poverty and inequality and to grow the economy. In December 2017 South Africa joined 15 Pathfinding countries under the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children. Being a Pathfinding country commits South Africa to realise the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 16.2: to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children. It also commits the country to ensuring that all sectors - government, civil society and the private sector - work together to end violence against children. But ending violence experienced by children requires us also to end violence against women. Not only is this important because it will reduce children's exposure to violence, but also because violence against women is a human rights violation that impacts negatively on the society in which children are raised. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2017. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief, Accessed April 9, 2018 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/plicybrief108-v2.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Children Exposed to Violence Shelf Number: 149735 |
Author: Thomas, Kim Title: The Rule of the Gun: Hits and assassinations in South Africa, 2000-2017 Summary: This report presents an analysis of data on hits (contract killings) carried out in South Africa. The data has been compiled as part of the work of a collaborative project, Assassination Witness. The data that informs the report spans the period from 2000 to 2017 and the findings allow certain conclusions to be drawn about the evolving nature of the phenomenon of paid-for assassinations. The targeted killing of people - a form of organized crime that escalated rapidly towards the end of the data period - has a highly detrimental impact on South Africa's ongoing democratic project and often fragile governance systems. The study found that a large proportion of assassinations in South Africa are contracted for political, economic or social gain, and that commissioned killings also targeted professionals in the country's criminal-justice system. There are segments of the economy that nurture and feed this criminal market, notably South Africa's notoriously violent taxi industry, which provides a recruitment pool where hitmen can be hired. The findings of this report aim to inform a more effective policy response to the phenomenon of contract killings in South Africa in order that more can be done about it. Posted on: 14 March 2018 Share this article FacebookTwitterGoogle GmailOutlook.comPinterestLinkedInSkypeEvernoteWhatsAppEmailShare SummaryThis report presents an analysis of data on hits (contract killings) carried out in South Africa. The data has been compiled as part of the work of a collaborative project, Assassination Witness. The data that informs the report spans the period from 2000 to 2017 and the findings allow certain conclusions to be drawn about the evolving nature of the phenomenon of paid-for assassinations. The targeted killing of people - a form of organized crime that escalated rapidly towards the end of the data period - has a highly detrimental impact on South Africa's ongoing democratic project and often fragile governance systems. The study found that a large proportion of assassinations in South Africa are contracted for political, economic or social gain, and that commissioned killings also targeted professionals in the country's criminal-justice system. There are segments of the economy that nurture and feed this criminal market, notably South Africa's notoriously violent taxi industry, which provides a recruitment pool where hitmen can be hired. The findings of this report aim to inform a more effective policy response to the phenomenon of contract killings in South Africa in order that more can be done about it.Various international studies provided the terminology, framework and background to understanding how and why contract killings become prevalent. But these analyses are largely focused on developed countries. It is important to note that the South African context, as is the case with other developing countries, is different from that of the Global North. In South Africa, the sheer number of hits is greater, the urgency of collecting the data more apparent and the need to act more pressing. Various international studies provided the terminology, framework and background to understanding how and why contract killings become prevalent. But these analyses are largely focused on developed countries. It is important to note that the South African context, as is the case with other developing countries, is different from that of the Global North. In South Africa, the sheer number of hits is greater, the urgency of collecting the data more apparent and the need to act more pressing. Key recommendations - Improve firearm control to reduce the flow of illicit arms.Focus on reducing violent competition within the taxi industry.Erode the 'nurseries of violence' that provide a supply of hitmen for hire. Bolster prosecution-led investigations.Expand efforts at monitoring assassinations and disaggregate homicide data, so that better-quality statistics on contract killings are made available. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 2018. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 30, 2018 at: http://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/The-rule-of-the-gun_Assassination-Witness_-1.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Assassinations Shelf Number: 149960 |
Author: Nel, Sarah Lettie Title: A critical analysis of gangsterism in South African correctional centres: the case of Barberton management area Summary: Prison gangs are currently rife in South African correctional centres. Correctional officers and fellow offenders are frequently attacked by gang members, facilities are damaged and inmates are injured or killed in fights or during fires in correctional centres. Severe gang violence occurred at the Polls moor and Rustenburg correctional facilities at the end of 2016 and inexperienced correctional officers lacked the expertise to suppress the violence. This state of affairs necessitates further study into the management of prison gangs. Given the above background, this study aimed to examine how correctional facilities can suppress gang activity. The study provides an overview of the history of gangs in South Africa and shows how community gangs spread to prisons. This is followed by a meticulous documentation of the different elements of gang culture by means of observation in an effort to arm future correctional officers with knowledge regarding gangs. The findings of the observation revealed that gangs each have a unique way of greeting, using hand gestures, tattoos and verbal greetings. These communicative acts can be used as part of a strategy to prevent new offenders from becoming involved in gang activity. The observational research was confirmed by means of qualitative research. The experiences of gang members were examined by means of questionnaires to better understand the dynamic. The qualitative study was conducted at four correctional facilities, namely a maximum, medium A and medium B facility and a town youth facility. These different facilities ensured that all age groups were represented. Questionnaires were distributed to offenders who voluntarily consented to participating in the research. The literature study showed that South Africa has good legislature and policies in place, but that they have to be implemented more strictly and that the correctional officers have to be empowered by an increase in human resources and funding. In addition to capacity building, the strategic framework presented as part of the study suggests that supervision of gang members should be sharpened by for instance reconsidering the lay-out of correctional facilities. Gang members should be involved in rehabilitation programmes, which are frequently available, but not implemented. Correctional officers should be trained to manage gang members and legislation and policies should be revised frequently, as criminals tend to adjust their modus operandi continuously. The suggested framework can be of great value to the Department of Correctional Services, as managing gang activity in correctional centres can greatly change the efforts of the department to rehabilitate offenders. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2017. 204p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 8, 2018 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/23132/dissertation_nel_sl.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 150098 |
Author: Thusi, I. India Title: Radical Feminist Harms on Sex Workers Summary: Sex work has long been a site for contesting sexuality, womanhood, race, and patriarchy. Its very existence forces us to examine how we think about a very controversial topic the commodification of sex. This controversy is evident in the feminist legal scholarship, where there have been substantial debates between radical feminists, who advocate for the eventual abolition of sex work and criminalization of the purchasers of sex, and other feminists, who argue that sex workers should have the autonomy to sell sex. Radical feminists are particularly concerned with the structural harms of sex work and have formed alliances with groups that oppose sex work due to moralistic reasons. Like radical feminism, this Article considers the structural harms of sex work in assessing whether it should be criminalized. However, this Article arrives at a very different conclusion and challenges the radical feminist approach to sex work, by arguing that the harms of any form of criminalization, particularly to individuals with intersectional identities, are overlooked in much of the radical feminist literature on sex work. This Article incorporates empirical research from nearly two years of ethnographic fieldwork in Johannesburg, South Africa, to illustrate the ways that criminalizing any aspect of the sex work transaction, including the demand-side, is problematic. The Article also considers the ways that race and overcriminalization should be factored in ways that are often missing from the literature. By recognizing that some sex workers face the effects of multiple systems of oppression and that the criminal justice system has often been a source of oppression for these individuals, this Article argues that decriminalization should be the favored approach for those interested in improving the lives of sex workers. Moreover, the essentialist framing of the harms of sex work in the radical feminist literature is itself a reproduction of patriarchy and white supremacy, often silencing the voices and experiences of sex workers of color. Details: Unpublished paper, 2016. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: California Western School of Law Research Paper No. 17-13, Accessed May 23, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2856647 Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Critical Race Theory Shelf Number: 150336 |
Author: Aucoin, Ciara Title: Tackling supply and demand in the rhino horn trade Summary: The majority of responses to the growing illegal trade in rhino horn aim to curb supply through frontline enforcement and security in parks and reserves in Southern Africa, particularly South Africa. They include recent advances in legalising the trade. Far less effort has been made to involve local communities in anti-poaching efforts or reduce the appetite for rhino horn in East Asia. This policy brief reviews available information on supply and demand in rhino horn markets, analysing the main responses and their impacts. It advocates greater policy coherence in supply-side measures and more regional and international cooperation in demand-side campaigns. Key points - Responses to the illicit trade in rhino horn have mainly focused on the supply side. The burden of implementing security measures cannot only fall on the under-resourced departments responsible for maintaining national parks. - Improving the protection of rhinos is necessary, but not sufficient. Community-led activities that are well coordinated and funded are needed to ensure local people become key stakeholders in rhino conservation. - Policy focus on curbing the demand for rhino horn must be increased to balance supply-side policy interventions. This requires more support and resources for research and public awareness campaigns in demand countries. Details: Pretoria: ENACT Project, 2018. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2018 at: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2018_03_28_PolicyBrief_Wildlife.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 150470 |
Author: Endangered Wildlife Trust Title: Fair Game? Improving the well-being of South African Wildlife. Review of the legal and practical regulation of the welfare of wild animals in South Africa, 2018 Summary: The report, entitled Fair Game? Improving the Regulation of the Well-being of South African Wildlife finds that there are major gaps in both legislation and the implementation of those laws, leaving the well-being of wild animals without adequate protection. The organisations recommend the clarification of the legal mandate for wildlife welfare, and the updating of legislation. They also call for greater investment in compliance monitoring and enforcement, and a standardised and transparent permitting system for activities involving and affecting wildlife. Historically, our regulatory system has distinguished between animal welfare on one hand, and biodiversity conservation on the other - and regulate those separately in different laws. This means that conservation laws applicable to wild animals under the physical control of humans, whether held temporarily or permanently - are often unsuited to addressing the issue of welfare of those wild animals. Welfare laws, on the other hand, do not necessarily consider conservation objectives. To make matters worse, both sectors suffer from very limited resources for compliance and enforcement. In practice, the current legal regime ultimately provides little protection for wild animals. South Africa has, in recent years, seen a proliferation of facilities that involve the captive management of wildlife for commercial purposes. The legislation that governs the welfare of these wild animals has not kept pace with the rapid changes in the wildlife industry. As a result, the welfare of many species of wildlife has often become compromised. Welfare standards that may be suited to domestic animals cannot be considered suitable to the full spectrum of species of wildlife. Media reports of the practical state of welfare protection for wild animals in South Africa demonstrate the need for urgent reform in laws and practices. For example, an incident in 2014 involving the death of a giraffe while being transported in an open-air truck on a national highway drew great public concern when the driver drove under a bridge that was not tall enough for the giraffe to safely pass under. No prosecutions for this grave incident have been reported to date. More recent examples include dozens of neglected and starving captive lions on a Limpopo farm and a lion "abattoir" in the Free State housing over 200 lions awaiting slaughter for lion bone exports, currently in limbo as both the Departments of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) say that the welfare situation is not their responsibility. In addition to this, the increase in reported incidents of captive carnivore attacks on people, many resulting in fatalities, are not being legally addressed. Each of these incidents, a small fraction of those going on country-wide, represents a failure of the system in protecting the animals. Whilst regulations may exist for the captive management of some selected species, and laws may be in place to regulate the numbers being traded, the welfare of captive wildlife, and the mandate of the authorities to monitor compliance, is currently insufficiently protected. The joint report was prompted by growing concern amongst civil society and NGOs, including the EWT and the CER, about the absence of welfare considerations in conservation laws and practices, and the fact that existing welfare laws do not adequately cater for wild animals, which are increasingly the subjects of breeding farms and other forms of intensive management. CER Wildlife Attorney Aadila Agjee says that: "The combination of government agencies regulating wildlife and welfare, outdated and at times inadequate laws, inconsistent application and enforcement of those laws - and the strong focus on the commercial exploitation of wildlife - make clear that the welfare of wild animals is not currently a priority in South Africa. A set mandate, adequate budget for staffing, training and resources, updating of laws and practices, and consistency in the treatment of the wild animals to prioritise their well-being are critical." The report examines the legal and practical regulation of the welfare of wild animals in South Africa with a view to constructive engagement with the national and provincial departments charged with implementing both conservation and welfare laws, and other relevant stakeholders, with the aim of reform. "In order constructively to address the gaps and shortcomings in the legal framework that governs the well-being of wild animals, the EWT and the CER embarked on a process of identifying where and how the laws should be changed. Broad consultation with a large number of stakeholders in the commercial wildlife industry, welfare sector and government has strengthened the findings and recommendations. The report thus provides a positive platform from which the relevant government authorities can now address the dire need for vastly improved welfare governance for our wildlife," said Yolan Friedmann, EWT CEO. Importantly, the report also places the issue of wildlife welfare in a Constitutional context.[ The report argues that the improvement of welfare laws, as recently confirmed by the courts, and their consistent implementation, compliance, monitoring and enforcement is an urgent Constitutional imperative. The report concludes by providing legal and practical recommendations for the improvement and proper regulation, compliance with and enforcement of good minimum welfare standards for wild animals under the control of humans. These recommendations serve as a catalyst to open discussions with and tender assistance to the relevant government and legislative bodies for the improvement of wildlife welfare laws and practices. Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Endangered Wildlife Trust, 2018. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2018 at: https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CER-EWT-Regulation-of-Wildlife-Welfare-Report-25-June-2018.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 150725 |
Author: Sauls, Heidi Title: A Situational Analysis of Youth in the Western Cape Summary: Based on a request by the Office of the MEC in the Western Cape Department of Social Development, a situational analysis of young people in six research sites within the Western Cape was conducted. This research was led in support of the Western Cape Youth Development Strategy (WCYDS). The main focus of the project was on young people, essentially youth who are not in employment, education or training (NEETS). In broad strokes, the research focused on the daily experiences and challenges of these youth. It is however of great importance to mention that the concept of NEETs was initially employed as a point of departure and utilized as an analytical tool to identify and interact with youth. The main focus of this study was therefore to explore the lives of such youth aged 15 - 34 years in the context of the Western Cape amidst its social, economic and political challenges. Purpose of the Research - On 8 April 2014, the Department of Social Development officially launched the Western Cape Youth Development Strategy (WCYDS). The strategy articulates how the Western Cape Government can, using a whole-of-society approach, in partnerships with non-governmental and private sector role players, faith based organisations and the youth of the province, create an enabling environment for all young people to thrive in the Western Cape (WCYDS: 2013: 9). In order to achieve this goal, certain priority areas are identified in the YDS to build individual capabilities and address the impact of poverty. These include: education, joblessness (NEETS), trauma and families, gangs and disconnected youth (YDS: 2013: 27). Therefore, the purpose of this research project was to gain an improved understanding of youth, their contexts and everyday lives. Despite the frequent representation of African children and youth as increasingly being identified as 'social problems' within academic discourse and policy (Bordonaro and Payne: 2012; Seekings: 2006), this study approached youth as active agents who navigate and impress upon their environments. Therefore, this research project attempted to explore and describe the social positions of these youth as well as their perceptions and functioning in their everyday lives. This information allows the Youth Development Programme and the guardians of the Youth Development Strategy to explore their approach towards youth, how to prevent youth becoming or staying NEET's and to explore intervention strategies to promote positive youth development. Aim and Objectives - The overarching aim of the project was to understand youths' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (KAP) about their social, economic and political contexts in the Western Cape. The research furthermore attempted to understand how young people interact and navigate within their social and physical spaces. The project had the following objectives: 1. To develop a profile of youth in the Western Cape. 2. To describe how youth construct and navigate their everyday lives and experiences. 3. To investigate the protective and risk factors of youth. 4. To explore youth perceptions of themselves and their environments. Details: Cape Town: Western Cape Government, Directorate Research, Population and Knowledge Management, 2017. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Ref. No. 12/1/2/3/17: Accessed July 10, 2018 at: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/assets/departments/social-development/a_situational_analysis_of_youth_in_the_western_cape_final_research_report_aug_2014.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: At-Risk Youth Shelf Number: 150802 |
Author: EMS Foundation Title: The Extinction Business: South Africa's 'Lion' Bone Trade Summary: For more than a decade, South Africa has been actively supporting and growing the international trade in big cat bones, despite local and international outrage and condemnation from conservation and protection organisations, lion scientists, and experts. In 2017, South Africa's Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, controversially, and in the face of vociferous opposition and robust arguments against this trade, set the annual export quota at 800 lion skeletons. Even more alarmingly, Molewa, without stakeholder participation, took the incomprehensible decision to almost double the quota in 2018 to 1,500 skeletons. On July 11th 2018, the person in charge of the quota at the DEA told us categorically that no quota had been set for 2018. A few days later the DEA was forced to make a public announcement about the 2018 lion bone quota following a public outcry when a letter from Molewa, dated June 7th 2018, informing the provinces of the new quota allocation, was leaked. The undeclared reasons behind government's decision to conceal this information from interested and affected parties needs to be brought to light and interrogated. The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) justified its decision to dramatically increase the quota on a single government commissioned interim study which, from the get-go guaranteed a skewed outcome, particularly because of the inclusion of outspoken pro-trade economist, Michael 't Sas-Rolfes, in the small research team. The report itself admitted that the findings were based on insufficient data and that "further avenues need to be explored". By no stretch of the imagination can this interim study translate into a conclusive scientific justification for a lion bone quota, and even less, an increase of the quota. Notably, some of the researchers involved in this study have distanced themselves from the decision-making process around the 2018 quota, stating that all the decisions were made by the Scientific Authority and the DEA, and that the researchers provided no input on what the quota should, or should not, be. They specifically added that "The wording of that quota letter via NW [NorthWest] is a bit unclear concerning our involvement...we provided no input on what the quota should, or should not, be. We correctly excluded ourselves from this process." In the last 18 months, the EMS Foundation and Ban Animal Trading have been gathering extensive information and investigating South Africa's international 'lion' bone trade. This data has provided the basis of our Report, The Extinction Business: South Africa's 'Lion' Bone Trade. The South African captive big cat industry is a pariah and it is under severe local and international scrutiny. Hunting associations that support the trophy killing of captive bred lions have been sidelined by international hunting associations and organisations. Instead of working with all the stakeholders to limit and close down the industry, South Africa is steadfastly supporting it. It is facilitating its conversion into an even crueler industry: captive breeding and farming lions so they can be slaughtered solely to feed the problematic big cat bone trade in Southeast Asia. This is evidenced by the emergence of lion slaughterhouses in South Africa as well as the fact that we have clear evidence that 91% of the 'lion' skeletons exported from South Africa in 2017 included skulls. Thus showing that South Africa's lion bone trade is not a by-product of an existing industry (i.e. trophy hunting) but an entirely separate industry. Consequently, a trade in wild animal body parts, with links to international criminal networks, in countries where they are attempting to lower demand for big cat body parts, is being stimulated. Alarmingly, the Minister is unpersuasively attempting to argue that this abhorrent and destructive industry is a sustainable, and ethical alternative to trophy hunting. By doing so, true conservation efforts that should benefit wild animals in this country, as well as its citizens, are being undermined. A ban on the captive breeding of lions and tigers will bring an end to this unacceptable and brutal South African industry. The DEA, however, refuses to recognise this and instead, for inexplicable reasons, chooses to intensify its support for an industry that is tarnishing Brand South Africa's image. South Africa's tourism industry is suffering reputational damage, and this will, in turn, have a negative impact on South Africa's economy and job creation. A vast number of individuals rely on continued employment in the tourism sector, and their livelihoods are in the firing line in order to benefit only the few predatory elite in the 'lion' bone trade. When it comes to the economics of the 'lion' bone trade on the South African side - after all, this is what is driving the trade - there is almost nothing in the public domain about the modalities of the industry and/or the processes and mechanisms of how the money flows along the entire supply chain. Access to this information and transparency is crucial, not only to understanding the nature of the trade, but in gaining insights into the illegal trafficking links. The South African government urgently needs to open up this industry, and its participants, to public scrutiny so that it can be fully and accurately interrogated, understood, and the money trail monitored. The illegal trade in wild animals, which is not only devastating animal communities and consuming huge financial resources, cannot be adequately tackled without addressing the significant loopholes in the existing legal trade multilateral agreements, i.e. CITES. Drawing upon hundreds of CITES export permits, issued by South Africa's conservation agencies, this Report examines and investigates substantial problems and endemic loopholes in the CITES permitting, enforcement and oversight system. It further demonstrates the failings of South Africa's national policies and procedures, all of which translate into a convergence of the legal and illegal trade in wild animal. Systemic weakness in the international wild animal trade permitting regimen, particularly in South Africa and Asia as illustrated in this Report, not only add to wild animal trafficking, but also undermine any efforts to address the illegal trade. It is also clear that transnational wild animal trafficking networks and crimes perpetrated against wild animals cannot be disrupted without examining the legal and regulated trade, and the supply and demand chain thereof. Indeed, the critical mechanism to disrupt transnational organised wildlife crime is to critique and amend the legal trade. Our findings reveal that: - There are substantial loopholes in the CITES permitting system itself; Merely complying with the CITES Treaty is insufficient and is a threat to wild animals and biodiversity. Countries need to do more in the context of their own national legal frameworks to protect wild animals caught up in the international trade; - There is a lack of verification, one example of this is that more than the 2017 set quota of 800 skeletons went out of South Africa with legal CITES permits; - There is a lack of required due diligence by the CITES Management authorities on both the exporting and importing side, in profiling and authenticating exporters, importers, addresses and destinations; - There are major oversight problems in South Africa and in the countries of import. This has created a situation where the legal trade in 'lion' bones is fueling the illegal trade in lion and tiger bones and providing laundering opportunities for tiger bones in Asian markets. This is brewing into a toxic mix, particularly when it is placed in the context of the widespread overlap between those involved in international lion trade, trade in tigers and other CITES-listed species, and the routine leakage of imported lion products into illegal international trade. Details: Honeydew, South Africa: EMS Foundation, 2018. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2018 at: http://emsfoundation.org.za/wp-content/uploads/THE-EXTINCTION-BUSINESS-South-Africas-lion-bone-trade.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Extinction Shelf Number: 150918 |
Author: Williams, Vivienne Title: South African Lion Bone Trade: A Collaborative Lion Bone Research Project Summary: The African lion is the only big cat listed on CITES Appendix II, and the only one for which international commercial trade is legal under CITES (Williams et al. 2017a). Debates on the contentious trade in lion bones and body parts were amplified at the 2016 CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) when consensus on a proposal by Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Togo to transfer all African populations of Panthera leo (lion) from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES could not be reached, and many southern African countries in particular opposed the proposal. Instead, through negotiations within a working group, a compromise to keep P. leo on Appendix II with a bone trade quota for South Africa, was agreed as follows: A zero annual export quota is established for specimens of bones, bone pieces, bone products, claws, skeletons, skulls and teeth removed from the wild and traded for commercial purposes. Annual export quotas for trade in bones, bone pieces, bone products, claws, skeletons, skulls and teeth for commercial purposes, derived from captive breeding operations in South Africa, will be established and communicated annually to the CITES Secretariat. CoP17 underscored a need for further information on lion trade and the consequences for lions across the continent. And, in accordance with the annotation, South Africa was required to establish an export quota for lion bones, and the Scientific Authority was mandated to advise the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on the size of this quota on an annual basis. Following consultation with various relevant government agencies (national and provincial) and other stakeholders (including a public meeting on 18 January 2017), the 2017 export quota was set at 800 skeletons (with or without the skull) in July 2017. No specific export quotas were set for teeth, claws or individual bones; these items are included in the quota as parts of a skeleton. In order to provide sound scientific decision support to the DEA, an interdisciplinary and collaborative research project led by two independent experts, Dr VL Williams (VLW) and Mr M 't SasRolfes (M'TSR), was commenced in March 2017 and will end in March 2020. This interim report is the first in the series of report backs on the research to SANBI. The core aims of the collaborative research project, as given in the collaboration memorandum, are: 1. To increase understanding of the captive breeding industry and the trade in lions (especially bones, but also other products and live lions) in South Africa; 2. To investigate how the trade in captive-produced lion skeletons and other body parts under a quota system affects wild lion populations; 3. To strengthen the evidence base for the annual review of the lion bone export quota in order to ensure it is sustainable and not detrimental to wild populations. The lion bone trade also interacts with the recreational hunting industry and may affect other felid species internationally; accordingly, the project also aims: 4. To gain a better understanding of the consequences of the US ban on imports of captive-origin trophies that took effect from the start of 2016; 5. To gain a better understanding of potential linkages between markets for lion body parts and those of other large felids in and beyond Africa. In respect of the aims, various sub-projects and/or data analysis activities were initiated in 2017, namely: 1. The National Captive Lion Survey: an online questionnaire survey distributed to South African facilities that breed, keep, hunt and trade in lions (live and/or products) (commenced August 2017; ongoing, but to be closed in 2018 on a date to be determined; the focus of this report) (various collaborators); 2. Analysis of data supplied by multiple information sources: analysis of available data (see Table 1) to inform the evidence base; 3. Muthi market monitoring: a project tracking the presence of lion parts (mainly skins) in traditional medicine outlets/markets (commenced January 2017; ongoing) (VLW only; not SANBI funded). Details: South African National Biodiversity Institute, 2017. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Interim Report 1: Accessed July 30, 2018 at: https://conservationaction.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2017_Interim-Report-1.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 150968 |
Author: University of Cape Town. Safety and Violence Initiative Title: Report on research findings for the project: CCOS02940: Design of Standard Operating Procedures and Models on Section 6.1-6.13 Neighbourhood Watch & CCOS02941: Design of Standard Operating Procedures and Models on Section 5.1-5.3 Community Police Forums Summary: The Centre of Criminology and the Safety and Violence Initiative, University of Cape Town, were contracted by the Department of Community Safety, Western Cape Provincial Government, to undertake two projects, which commenced in March 2015: CCOS02940: Design of Standard Operating Procedures and Models on Section 6.1- 6.13 Neighbourhood Watch and CCOS02941: Design of Standard Operating Procedures and Models on Section 5.1-5.3 Community Police Forums. The research projects involved in-depth research on Neighbourhood Watches and Community Police Forums in five selected sites BKM (Bergvliet, Kreupelbosch, Meadowridge), Khayelitsha, Lavender Hill, Paarl East, and Vredenburg (and surrounds). Two stakeholder workshops were also run in November 2015 and February 2016 to supplement and validate the research findings. This report is an amalgamation of the two projects into a single report which outlines the aims and scope of the project; a brief overview of community policing in South Africa; the research methodology employed to investigate the sites; a socio-demographic profile of each site as well as the specific research findings for each site; recommendations (Section Six of the report) with regards to (further) supporting Neighbourhood Watches and Community Police Forums so as to (better) contribute to a system of safety governance which is democratic and whole-of-society orientated. With regards to the latter the recommendations are organised around seven criteria for democratic safety governance and includes: equity, delivery of service, responsiveness, distribution of power, information, redress, and participation. The envisaged role of DOCS is also presented in these recommendations. Details: Cape Town: Safety and Violence Initiative, 2016. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 7, 2018 at: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/assets/departments/community-safety/nhw_research_on_the_design_of_standard_operating_models_for_neighbourhood_watches_and_community_police_forums_2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Community Policing Shelf Number: 151033 |
Author: Bruce, David Title: The sound of gunfire: The police shootings at Marikana Scene 2, 16 August 2012 Summary: 1) This report focuses on a part of the Marikana massacre, an incident on Thursday 16 August 2012 in which 34 men, most of them striking mineworkers, were killed by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The killings on that day took place at two different locations, about 500m apart, now often referred to as (crime) Scene 1 and Scene 2. At each location, 17 people were fatally injured by gunfire from members of the SAPS. 2) This report focuses on describing and understanding the events at Scene 2. It relies on information made available in the public domain as a result of the Marikana Commission process. The events at Scene 1 will also be discussed, but only to establish the circumstances/context in which the events at Scene 2 took place. 3) No integrated narrative account of the events at Scene 2 has appeared in the public domain. The report aims to deepen understanding of the events at Scene 2 and to contribute towards developing an explanation for the killings that took place there. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2018. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 16, 2018 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/marikana-report.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Deadly Force Shelf Number: 151145 |
Author: Born Free Foundation Title: Cash Before Conservation: An Overview of the Breeding of Lions for Hunting and Bone Trade Summary: Between 6,000 and 8,000 lions are held in captive breeding facilities across South Africa. The country is the worlds primary destination for hunters who wish to hunt captive-raised lions. In the decade to 2013, South Africa declared almost 7,500 lion trophy exports, the vast majority of which were captive-bred. The industry has also made South Africa the worlds largest legal exporter of lion bones and skeletons. Between 2008 and 2015, the country declared exports of more than 5,000 lion skeletons and a large quantity of bones. In 2017, the South African Government issued an export quota of 800 lion skeletons from captive bred lions. Some of the buyers and countries to which these products are destined have strong associations with wildlife trafficking. This document has been compiled from published information with the intention of providing a deeper insight into the development the captive lion breeding industry, the hunting of these animals, and the subsequent export of lion bones. The association between some of those involved in the industry, and illegal trade in other wildlife products, and the increasing association between lion breeding and the fast-expanding trade in donkey meat and skins, are highlighted. The document also explores the key role played by prominent members of South Africas National and Provincial Governments in the growth of the industry, the lack of public or scientific accountability for official support, and the increasing international condemnation of the industry including among some prominent hunting groups. The report concludes that, if South Africa is to be regarded as a responsible and ethical custodian of its wildlife, and a country that cares about wildlife elsewhere in Africa and across the globe, urgent action needs to be taken to curtail the captive breeding and canned hunting of lions, and the sale of their bones and skeletons into international markets. Details: United Kingdom, 2018. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 12, 2018 at: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/storage/media/content/files/Publications/Born_Free_Lion_Breeding_Report.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Captive Lion Breeding Shelf Number: 151471 |
Author: Burger, Johan Title: Violent Crime on Farms and Smallholdings in South Africa Summary: Farm attacks and farm murders are a contentious topic in South Africa. Claims have been made that the criminal attacks on farms are a deliberate form of white - specifically Afrikaner - genocide. But are farm dwellers and particularly white Afrikaans farmers the target? Or are these crimes part of a bigger picture of escalating brutal violence countrywide? Are statistics accessible and accurate so as to paint a true landscape of violent crime in rural South Africa? Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2018. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2018 at: file:///C:/Users/AuthUser/Downloads/policy-brief-115v2.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Farms Shelf Number: 151550 |
Author: Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme (TVEP) Title: The Effectiveness of a Model for Addressing School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV) in South Africa: An Evaluation of the 'Zero Tolerance School Alliance' Summary: Executive Summary This study fostered the prevention of, and strengthened response to, school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) in South African schools, by adapting an effective, adult-centric, community-based GBV prevention - the Zero Tolerance Village Alliance - to help mitigate SRGBV among children in secondary school. This adapted, child-centric version - the 'Zero Tolerance School Alliance' (ZTSA) - was implemented in 2016 and 2017 in one public secondary school in Vhembe district, Limpopo province, South Africa. The study's pre- and post-intervention design with a comparison group (one public secondary school) evaluated ZTSAs effectiveness with: 1) a baseline and endline school survey of students grades 8 through 12, and 2) focus group discussions (FGDs) with students, parents, and school personnel. This report summarizes the results of this ZTSA evaluation. Key messages from this evaluation include: - The Zero Tolerance School Alliance (ZTSA) model reduces female students witnessing of violence en route to school. The intervention significantly contributed to a reduction (12%) in the proportion of intervention site girls who witnessed violence en route to school, compared to an increase (24%) among their comparison site peers. - The ZTSA model reduces students' experiences of certain kinds of SRGBV on their way to school. The intervention significantly contributed to reducing intervention site students experiences of teasing or kidnapping on the way to school - a six percent and two percent reduction, respectively - versus eight percent increases for both indicators in the comparison school. - The ZTSA model is effective in reducing bullying of girls in school. The proportion of girls reporting bullying at school in the last year declined significantly in the intervention school (a 14% reduction). - ZTSA enhances students knowledge of whom to report SRGBV to when it occurs. Among students in the intervention school who reported bullying in the last year, there was a significant (31%) decrease in the proportion not knowing whom to report it. Among comparison school counterparts, there was no significant change in this indicator. - ZTSA promotes support for bullied students. Among intervention school students who reported bullying in the last year, there was a significant increase (of 17%) in the proportion receiving help for this problem. Conversely, comparison school peers experienced a 23 percent decline in help for bullying. - The ZTSA intervention broadens students' sources of information on childrens SRGBV rights. Intervention school students drew upon a wider range of sources for knowledge on their rights, in contrast to comparison school peers. The ZTSA model was effective in reaching students through friends, the intervention school, and community leaders. These intervention site changes were statistically significant. - The ZTSA model increases students knowledge of their right to not be subjected to violence. Among the various aspects of childrens rights, the intervention had the greatest impact in improving students awareness of their right to not be abused (from 82% to 92% in the intervention school). There was no significant change in the same indicator for the comparison site. - Some aspects of the ZTSA model require strengthening to more fully address SRGBV consequences. In its current form ZTSA does not affect several indicators, which the model needs to address: - Students perceptions of safety in and around school Students perceptions of safety in and around school: The proportion of students (boys and girls) from both schools who indicated fear of walking to school increased significantly at endline. Student fears of walking to school remained similar in both groups between baseline and endline, with no statistically significant changes in the proportion of students who feel "very or somewhat safe" at school. Students' experience of SRGBV in and around school While the intervention significantly contributed to reducing experience of certain aspects of violence (such as being teased or kidnapped), it did not lead to reductions in other forms of violence, such as being attacked, bullied, or unwanted touching. ZTSA did not lead to a reduction in the proportion of intervention school boys (as opposed to girls) experiencing bullying in school, nor in the proportion of intervention school boys and girls alike who experienced unwanted sexual touching at school. Conclusion The Zero Tolerance School Alliance is a promising intervention engendering prevention of certain aspects of SRGBV in as little as a year. Along with several encouraging findings, this study reveals remaining gaps and areas that require strengthening if SRGBV is to be more comprehensively and effectively addressed. The study results suggest that a more balanced focus on both boys and girls (rather than girls, primarily) will help produce equally positive results for boys. Findings also indicate gender differences in the experience and reporting of violence. These differences should be taken into account for targeted approaches. The gaps revealed by this study also point to a need for integrating new, targeted components into the overall intervention model to address areas in which the intervention produced no change. Findings from this study are currently being used by the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme to further refine ZTSA. Details: South Africa, 2018. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 5, 2018 at: https://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/2018RH_ZeroToleranceSchoolAlliance.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bully Shelf Number: 151475 |
Author: Serafini, Ludovica Title: The Urgency of a "Green Criminology": A Case Study of Air Pollution, Criminal Activity and Environmental Perception in the South Durban Basin (South Africa) Summary: Goal: With the hope of expanding the criminological horizons beyond the traditional notions of crime, this study investigates how air pollution is affecting people's behavior in the South Durban Industrial Basin (SDIB), South Africa. Through the development of a mixed-method design, the research's aims are: to estimate the possible correlation between air pollution and criminal behavior, and to analyze the social perceptions and attitudes toward the risks of living in a polluted area. Details: Bologna: University of Bologna, 2018. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 8, 2018 at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323727165_The_Urgency_of_a_Green_Criminology_A_Case_Study_of_Air_Pollution_Criminal_Activity_and_Environmental_Perception_in_the_South_Durban_Basin_South_Africa Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Environmental Criminology Shelf Number: 153504 |
Author: Newman, Gareth Title: Protector or predator? Tackling police corruption in South Africa Summary: Corruption remains a serious challenge to the effectiveness and legitimacy of the South African Police Service (SAPS). This monograph explores corruption in the SAPS prior to and after democratisation in 1994, contextualising the discussion with reference to international and domestic literature on the subject. It explores the causes of police corruption in the South African context and assesses the efforts taken by the SAPS in response to this challenge. Practical recommendations are made as to how the SAPS can significantly reduce incidents of police corruption by enhancing internal accountability, promoting a culture of organisational integrity and mobilising community support. Consolidating decades of research on the subject, this monograph represents the most comprehensive analysis of police corruption in South Africa to date. It also offers an approach that could assist in transforming the SAPS into a police agency that all South Africans want, one that is widely respected for its integrity and professionalism. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2011. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph no. 182: Accessed November 13, 2018 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono182.pdf Year: 2011 Country: South Africa Keywords: Police Corruption Shelf Number: 152922 |
Author: Statistics South Africa Title: Victims of Crime Survey, 2017/18 Summary: Aggregate crime levels increased in 2017/18 compared to 2016/17. It is estimated that over 1,5 million incidences of household crime occurred in South Africa in 2017/18, which constitutes an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. Incidences of crime on individuals are estimated to be over 1,6 million, which is an increase of 5% from the previous year. Aggregate household crime levels increased in Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Individual crime levels increased in Free State, North West and Gauteng. North West experienced a drastic increase of 80% in the individual crime level. More provinces experienced an increase in household and individual crime levels if comparisons were done using proportions instead of absolute numbers. Housebreaking or burglary continued to be the dominant type of crime in 2017/18, accounting for 54% of all household crimes surveyed in the Victims of Crime Survey (VOCS). An estimated 832 122 incidences of housebreaking occurred, which is a 7% increase compared to the previous year. An estimated 156 089 incidences of home robbery occurred, constituting an increase of 3% from last year. It is estimated that 16 809 incidences of murder occurred in 2017/18, which is an increase of about 4% from the previous year. The definition of murder in VOCS includes culpable homicide because it is practically impossible to separate the two types of killing in a household survey. This is one of the reasons that the VOCS estimates differ from the figures released by the South African Police Service (SAPS). Another reason for the VOCS murder estimates being different from those of the SAPS is that some murders recorded by the SAPS are not known at household level; for example, murders of immigrants that have no relatives in South Africa. In the case of individual crimes, theft of personal property was the most dominant, accounting for about 41% of individual crimes. It is estimated that 693 219 incidences of theft of personal property occurred in 2017/18, which is a decrease of 2% from the previous year. Robbery away from home decreased by 5%, sexual offence decreased by 61%, and assault increased by 12% from the previous year. Sexual offence has a narrower definition in VOCS compared to the SAPS definition, which includes offences such as bestiality and sexual acts with a corpse. On the other hand, assault is defined more broadly in the VOCS compared to the SAPS and combines SAPS common assault and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Disagreement between VOCS and SAPS statistics should not be a matter of concern at this stage, as the two organisations do not use the same definitions of crime types. Moreover, not all crime experienced by individuals is reported to the police. Despite the challenge of non-aligned definitions, in many cases, VOCS and SAPS trends agree for similar types of crime. Perceptions of South Africans on crime in 2017/18 were more sceptical compared to the previous year. About 42% thought property crime increased during the past three years. This is an increase of 6,9% from the previous year. Those who thought violent crime increased during the past three years were 46%, which is an increase of 4,5% over the previous year. Western Cape was the most sceptical about crime trends, as 84% of Western Cape residents thought that crime in South African increased or stayed the same. Mpumalanga was the least sceptical among the nine provinces, where 65% thought that crime increased or stayed the same during the past three years. Crimes that are feared most are those that are most common. An estimated 79% of South Africans felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods during the day, which is a decrease of 6,7% from last year. About 32% of South Africans felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods at night, constituting an increase of 8% from last year. Police visibility declined between 2017/17 and 2017/18. It is estimated that the proportion of South Africans who never saw a police officer in uniform during the past twelve months increased by 6%. Police visibility was least in the Eastern Cape, where the percentage of people who never saw a police officer in uniform during the past twelve months is estimated to be 38%. The percentage of South Africans who were satisfied with police response in 2017/18 was 54%, which is a decrease of 5,5% from the previous year. The most common (34,4%) reason for dissatisfaction with the police was that "they don't respond in time". The most common reason for dissatisfaction in 2016/17 was "they don't recover goods". South Africans who were satisfied with the courts dropped by 8,5% from last year to 41%. Gender and population group are important factors that impact the level of confidence on the capacity of correctional services to rehabilitate prisoners. On the question of whether the respondent would be willing to offer employment to a former prisoner, the estimates for a "Yes" response were: Males (51%) and females (45%); Black Africans (52%), coloureds (38%), Indians/Asians (31%) and whites (35%). On the question of whether the respondent would be willing to marry a former prisoner, the estimates for a "Yes" response were: Males (25%) and females (19%); Black Africans (25%), coloureds (13%), Indians/Asians (9%) and whites (12%). Details: Pretoria: Statistics South Africa, 2018. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2018 at: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0341/P03412018.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 153021 |
Author: Mahofa, Godfrey Title: The Spatial Dimensions of Economic Activity in South Africa: The Role of Regional Policy, Crime, and the Business Environment Summary: The spatial distribution of economic activity is unevenly distributed across regions within countries. Regional development policies and the incidence of crime rates, an important aspect of the quality of the local business environment, may both impact spatial disparities in economic activity. This thesis examines the relationship between regional development policy, the quality of local business environment, that is, security or lack thereof, captured by crime incidence, and regional economic outcomes. The study argues that regional development policy incentives such as labour and tax regulations influence the local cost of doing business and hence are an important part of local business environment. In addition, the incidence of violent crime rates such as robbery and murder are an important dimension of the local business environment. Regional development policies and variations in the quality of the local business environment may drive regional inequality within a country through its effects on factors related to economic activity such as firm entry and labour migration. South Africa provides a good opportunity to study the impact of regional policies and local business environment, given the high levels of spatial inequality due to historical factors and the country had the first experience of regional development polices in Subsaharan Africa. In addition, the country is characterised by high rates of crime incidence. The first analytical chapter of the thesis examines the relationship between regional development policy incentives and regional disparity in economic activity. Chapters two and three, then examines the impact of crime incidence on various measures of economic activity, captured by firm entry and migration of labour, particularly skilled labour. These three chapters are linked by the focus on the determinants of the spatial distribution of economic activity across local municipalities in South Africa. The first main chapter uses a new dataset on business registrations that spans from 1800 to 2011, to examine the relationship between the creation of Regional Industrial Development Programme zones in 1982 and their removal in 1991, and the spatial distribution of firm entry in South Africa. The creation of these zones marks the introduction of Sub-Saharan Africa's first Special Economic Zones. However, little is known about the effects of such programs. Since incentives in these policies are expected to reduce the costs of registering and doing business to attract industries in targeted regions and create long lasting effects that make the regions economically sustainable, it is expected that the creation of these zones will increase firm entry and the impacts will persist after the removal of policy incentives. Using merged data on the location of Regional Industrial Development Programme zones and the business registration database, empirical results show that the creation of RIDP zones was positively associated with firm entry when the policy incentives were still present, and after the removal of policy incentives, firm entry decreased. However, these results show that in the manufacturing and services sector, the reduction of entry after the removal of RIDP zones did not completely offset the positive effect of the policy on entry. This finding is consistent with the presence of agglomeration economies in the manufacturing sector. Overall, results from this chapter suggests that regional policy incentives were important in encouraging private sector development in marginalised regions of the country, although the policy did not create long-run economic benefits. The second main chapter empirically examines the impact of an important aspect of the local business environment that affect regional economic incentives, that is, crime rates, on entry of firms across local municipalities in South Africa. South Africa's crime rates are high by international standards and surprisingly, little is known about how crime rates affect business activity in the country. Since crime rates increase the fixed costs of entry and the costs of doing business, it is expected that high crime rates in a region will lead to fewer firms entering the market, because only more productive firms will have expected profits high enough to justify paying the entry costs. This chapter merged crime data with the business registration database and found out that crime rates, particularly, property crimes have a deterring effect on firm entry and the effect is large for firms in the wholesale and retail sector. These results are robust to using rainfall shocks as an instrumental variable for crime rates, to control for the fact that crime might be a consequence not a cause of firm activity. The third main chapter empirically examines whether crime rates affect another aspect closely related to firm performance, that is, the availability of labour through migration across local municipalities in South Africa. Since high crime rates increases the costs of living in a region and this will reduce net income and utility associated with living in that region, it is expected that high crime rates will reduce in-migration. The chapter merged crime data used in the previous chapter with migration data created from 2011 population census and showed that contact crime rates reduce migration of labour into municipalities. These results are also robust to using rainfall shocks as an instrumental variable for crime rates, to control for reverse causality. Empirical results also show that the effects of contact crime differ by population group and skill level, with the effects stronger for male, unskilled and black African migrants. Since unskilled and African migrants will have lower expected wages to cover the costs of crime because of lack of high paying work opportunities and labour market discrimination. In addition, it is expected that the effect of crime is high for these population groups compared to skilled and white migrants, who have the income and the mechanisms to mitigate the risks of crime, like picking better neighbourhoods to live in. Estimated results by gender also reveal that the effect of contact crimes is high for male migrants as compared to female migrants suggesting that increases in contact crimes reduces in-migration of male individuals by a higher magnitude as compared to females. This result is consistent with the view that male African workers may be more mobile than females, and most of these migrants are unskilled. Important policy messages from these findings are that any industrial development strategy and economic policy in the country that seeks to create jobs in marginalised municipalities or improve integration of local labour markets should also consider other measures, besides targeting disadvantaged regions with policy incentives. This thesis provides empirical evidence that crime prevention measures are likely to be one of the important tools for industrial policy. This implies that the government should put measures that improve policing and security. In addition, the private sector and international development organisations should continue to engage the government to put in programs and projects that reduce crime rates in the country. These may include, providing support for research that examines the main causes of crime rates in South Africa. Details: Cape Town, 2017. 159p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 24, 2018 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/27835 Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Prevention Shelf Number: 153085 |
Author: Foster, John Robert Wilfred Title: Development a Relevant Business Model for the South African Informal Car Guarding Sector Summary: Car guarding, a uniquely South African activity, has become a common form of informal employment. The perception of many is that car guarding is a last resort of financial survival and pursued by those entrapped in a life of drug/alcohol addiction or poor life choices. This study had five objectives: firstly to determine if car guarding and the income made solely from tips is an economically viable mean of survival; secondly to determine the socio-cultural challenges (such as the perception towards car guards) and the physical challenges (such as weather conditions faced) while performing their duties; thirdly to discover general and specific skills car guards possess, either from past employment, or obtained while car guarding; fourthly to reveal the factors which influenced individuals to become car guards; and lastly to better evaluate the current car guarding business models, in order to provide suggestions to improve these. An exploratory research design with convenience sampling of 30 car guards at six different public domains was used. The study was limited to Durban because a degree of rapport had been built through previous informal discussions with car guards. Data was collected from car guards by means of one on one detailed open-ended qualitative questioning in order to ascertain reasons and opinions. Quantitative aspects were not explored. The data obtained was recorded and analyzed by thematic analysis. The study revealed the dismal situation of car guards. For example, at most venues they are charged a "bay fee" to guard a designated area, and have no choice but to survive on the limited amount of donations they are able to obtain, after paying the fee. Besides being harassed and often intimidated by both motorists; security officers and the management of parking premises, they have to brave the elements and work long hours with no physical protection and hardly any employer-support. Recommendations include implementation of a more effective business model to allow for formalization of car guard employment and at the very least good work standards, training and skill development. Organizations need to rise to the challenge to support car guards and local Community Policing Forums (CPF) need to be more involved in assisting car guards. Details: University of Kwazulu-Natal, College of Law and Management Studies, 2015. 152p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 12, 2018 at: http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/14748/Foster_John_Robert_Wilfred_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Automobile Theft Shelf Number: 153390 |
Author: Mthombeni, Paseka Title: Evaluation of the City Of Johannesburg's Proposed Second Economy Policy's Results in the Green Economy and Informal Security Sectors Summary: The Department of Economic Development (DED) within the City of Johannesburg (C0J) implemented two policy projects linked, to its proposed second economy policy. This study evaluated whether in its attempt to formalise the second economy the CoJ second economy policy empowered or further disempowered the participants of the security and green economy sectors of the second/informal economy. Empowerment in the context of this dissertation was based on the Alsop, Bertelsen and Holland's (2006:15) methodology which states that tracking the differences in capabilities that disallow individuals or groups the ability to make transforming choices enables social research to measure how the environment (policy measures, bylaws etc.) can either empower or disempower the actors. A literature review of the second economy provided background both in South Africa and the rest of the world. The review also addressed how the definition of the second economy varies as policy makers often define it according to the state of the informal economy in their policy landscape. The debate regarding the use of the word "second" as opposed to "informal" was relooked, it was concluded that the terms could be used interchangeably as they were both based on the "dualistic" approach that is prevalent in all economies. Chapter two also highlighted the advantages of the second economy regards to job creation and, economic growth. The results from the green economy waste pickers and car guard security questionnaires were used to measure whether the policy interventions that were developed by the CoJ for each sector empowered or disempowered the participants of the sector. In total; 10 waste pickers were interviewed, including 5 from the Johannesburg CBD (Carr Street) and 5 from the Waterval district which is where the separation at source programme was piloted. In the car guarding sector 5 respondents were interviewed before and after the implementation of the ACE parking system pilot in Braamfontein.... Details: Johannesburg: University of Johannesburg, 2015. 121p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed November 12, 2018 at: https://ujcontent.uj.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Repository/uj:19173 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Automobile Theft Shelf Number: 153391 |
Author: Nkhatau, Nthabisend Eunice Title: Car guarding as a survival and livelihood strategy: a comparative study of the negotiation of working space in Hillcrest and Hatfield Summary: Car guarding has emerged as one of the informal economic activities that form an integral part of the South African urban landscape. This activity serves as a source of livelihood for many individuals who face limited job opportunities and numerous barriers to entry into the formal economy. Drawing on conceptualisations of space, flexible accumulation and sustainable livelihoods, this research explored the work-life experiences and challenges that Pretoria car guards face in negotiating their working spaces. The generation of livelihoods in relation to the utilisation of public space by car guards was explored. The study outlines the significance of access to public space in the generation of livelihoods for car guards as well as their reasons for doing this type of work. Findings indicate that the primary reason for engaging in car guarding is to earn an income and survive in the midst of unemployment, limited job opportunities and poverty, given the low level of education and skills participants have. The study further revealed that urban public space is a pivotal physical asset through which car guards secure their livelihoods. Nonetheless, the utilisation of urban public space is highly contested and negotiated with an array of different actors such as: those in positions of authority1, the general public and fellow car guards. In negotiating their working spaces, car guards face competition and conflict as major challenges. Social skills and interpersonal relations play a pivotal role when it comes to accessing and entering car guarding. In their work they face an array of challenges ranging from exposure to fluctuating weather conditions, lack of a secure environment to harassment by those in positions of authority. Given their income insecurity, car guards are forced to work long hours and they employ different strategies to negotiate their working space in urban public places. These include aggressively defending their turf against other fellow car guards as well as paying certain amounts through both informal and formal arrangements to those in positions of authority to secure their working space. This as a result renders the urban public space as a commodity with territorial meanings and ownership attached to it. Details: Pretoria: University of Pretoria, 2017. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed November 12, 2018 at: https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/65594/Nkhatau_Car_2018.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Automobile Theft Shelf Number: 153392 |
Author: McEwen, Hayley Title: The Car Guards of Cape Town: A Public Good Analysis Summary: Car guards have become a part of everyday life for drivers in Cape Town and other metropolitan centres around South Africa. This paper analyses the development and economic functioning of the industry with the understanding that the market exhibits quasi-public good characteristics. Some unusual phenomena are explored. Firstly free riding does not lead to under-provision in the market due to the survivalist nature of the supply, the non-contractual nature of the demand and varied public perceptions. Secondly private firms enter the market as a signalling device for the heterogeneous quality of car guards. Lastly drivers continue to pay car guards in the face of free riding due to varied preference curves and a degree of altruism in rational agents. Twenty detailed case studies are undertaken and the results presented and used to inform the theoretical conclusions made throughout the paper. Details: Rondebosch: School of Economic Building, Middle Campus, University of Cape Town, 2008. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series, No. 25: Accessed November 12, 2018 at: http://opensaldru.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11090/30/2008_25.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2008 Country: South Africa Keywords: Automobile Theft Shelf Number: 153393 |
Author: Glanz, Lorraine Title: An assessment of closed circuit television surveillance with reference to the Benoni project Summary: The findings of a preliminary assessment of closed circuit television (CCTV) as a means of crime control are discussed in this report. The exploratory investigation consisted of a limited review of the literature and an examination of the Benoni CCTV pilot project as an example of the application of this type of crime management system in South Africa. The methods used for the investigation consisted of the following: A review of a selection of the literature on CCTV, with attention being focused on the debates around the invasion of privacy issue; an examination of the Benoni CCTV project to determine whether a reduction in crime and a displacement of crime to surroundings areas had taken place; an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the initiative; and a limited investigation of the public's perceptions of CCTV. The review of the literature indicated that surveillance systems initiated by local police are generally employed to reduce criminal activity, improve quality of life (by reducing threats to person and property), re-establish confidence in the economic viability of an area and promote the general economic rehabilitation of city centres. Current thinking is that CCTV should provide an integrated city centre management system whereby a whole range of services and provisions (such as public safety, traffic control, fire and other emergency management and service maintenance) are managed through one system. A CCTV project requires certain minimum equipment (such as cameras, links between cameras and monitors, video equipment and a control room) and certain systems (for example, a control room monitoring system, a response or reaction system, a video tape storage and record system and an evidence control system). This makes surveillance systems very costly to install and maintain and the literature indicated that there is some evidence to suggest that crime prevented in one area is simply displaced to others. Furthermore, there is the criticism that surveillance is an invasion of the right to privacy and the admissibility in court of video-recorded evidence has not been unequivocally determined. The success of CCTV projects is generally determined by examining crime patterns and trends to establish whether crime has decreased; by determining the public's perceptions of crime and feelings of safety before and after the implementation of a project; and by examining the rate and success of prosecutions arising from CCTV. Three evaluations of CCTV systems in Britain, which were conducted by the London Home Office, were examined. The first, a CCTV system in Newcastle upon Tyne, initially had a strong deterrent effect on the incidence of crime, but the effect seemed to wear off over time. However, the system appeared to have a more lasting effect on the two crimes of burglary and malicious damage to property. The second, a surveillance system in Birmingham, England's second largest city, was evaluated by looking at official statistics as well as self-report (victimisation) information. The self-report data indicated that crime declined in the areas where there was good camera coverage but actually increased in areas where there was poor or no coverage. According to the official data, CCTV had the greatest effect on robbery and theft from the person. In addition, the system helped police deal with public disorder problems in Birmingham, and led to an improvement in the public's feeling of safety. The third system, in the relatively small town of King's Lynn, is actually one of the largest CCTV systems in England. This market town has a total of 60 cameras which were installed in the industrial section in an attempt to deal with very high levels of burglary and malicious damage to property. After installation, the crime rate fell dramatically. The system was particularly successful in reducing burglary, assault and vehicle crime and the police reported that the system helped them in their day-to-day management of public safety. The review of the literature revealed that the invasion of privacy issue is the main focus point of the debate around the desirability of television surveillance. It is argued on the one hand that CCTV is an invasion of the right to privacy and the right to personal dignity and on the other, that where traditional forms of policing appear to be ineffective, television surveillance is justified in order to preserve fundamental rights. A fine balance needs to be maintained between the public's right to safety and an individual's right to privacy. SAPS legal experts consider CCTV to be the surveillance of public areas for the general prevention or detection of crime and not for the monitoring of specific individuals or suspects. In recognition of the sensitivity of the ethical issues around television surveillance and the need for the systems to be operated in a highly professional manner, the SAPS's National Standards and Management Services drafted a code of conduct for users of closed circuit television systems. The document sets guidelines for practice and procedure that should be followed in terms of, inter alia, camera positions, sound facilities, video tapes (including storage), video tapes as evidence, stills, release of footage, CCTV control rooms, accountability and evaluation. The insights gained from the review of the literature were used to examine the Benoni CCTV pilot project. The Benoni police station serves approximately 270 000 people (1 million if greater Benoni is considered) in a 170 square kilometre area. Given the resources available (38 vehicles and a staff of 225, excluding civilians), the high rate of unemployment, particular problems such as juvenile crime and street children and the high rate of crime in the CBD, the Benoni police decided that some other means (other than traditional policing) would have to be found to deal with crime. The Benoni CCTV project, known as COM-SAFE, was initiated by the Community Relations Division of the Benoni SAPS in June 1995. The stated objective of the project was to revive the CBD and stimulate economic growth by providing a secure and safe environment for all the normal activities of a city centre. The project was considered to be more than just a crime prevention tool - a complete management system was envisioned, encompassing traffic control, the management of fire and emergency situations, and pro-active policing (including the identification of potential suspects, the co-ordination of responses to incidents, the facilitation of arrests when criminal acts occur and increasing the effectiveness of Business Watch personnel). Ten cameras, sponsored by private companies, were placed in strategic positions in the CBD. The trial phase extended from March to August 1996, during which time different types of cameras and links were tested. The Emergency Control Centre of the Benoni Fire and Emergency Services was chosen as the most convenient, central location for the control room for the project..... Details: Pretoria: Monitoring and Policy, National Secretariat for Safety and Security, Pretoria, 1996. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Occasional Paper No. 1: Accessed December 10, 2018 at: http://www.policesecretariat.gov.za/downloads/reports/cctv.pdf Year: 1996 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cameras Shelf Number: 153954 |
Author: Mabudusha, Sekgologo Angel Title: The Policing of Undocumented Foreign Nationals in South Africa Summary: The increasing numbers of undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa not only has affected the provision of services provided by the local municipalities and the Department of Home Affairs but is also a huge challenge to the services provided by the South African police. The aim of this study was to explore the police experiences of dealing with undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa. A literature review was conducted to provide an overview of this problem nationally and internationally. Interviews, observations and document analysis were also considered to explore police experiences of dealing with undocumented foreign nationals. The findings of this study show that the South African police are "caught between a rock and a hard place" when dealing with undocumented foreign nationals within the constitutional framework of this country. They receive little support from the government and the relevant stakeholders on this matter, while on the other hand they are exposed to constant threats and lack of compliance from the undocumented foreign nationals and the criminal syndicates that facilitate illegal cross-border movements and the pressure from advocates of human rights principles and the media. These factors lead to increased frustrations among police officials and self-protective measures such as turning a blind eye to this problem. To deal with the problem the Inclusive and Interactive Refugee Management Model, which focuses on constant interaction among stakeholders, is recommended. Inclusive strategies are also recommended for dealing with undocumented foreign nationals. This model supports a Left Realism perspective, which advocates collective responsibility towards human concerns. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2014. 205p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed Dec. 12, 2018 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/13867/thesis_mabudusha_sa.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa Keywords: Asylum Seekers Shelf Number: 154009 |
Author: Mitchell, Y. Title: The Hate and Bias Crimes Monitoring Form Project, January 2013 - September 2017 Summary: At the inception of this project in 2013, the research team set out to document 900 (for methodological reasons) cases of hate crime, hate speech, and intentional unfair discrimination covering a wide range of vulnerable marginalised, or historically marginalised, sectors of society. The geographic scope of the project included five provinces in South Africa, namely the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Western Cape. By September 2017, 1061 cases had been documented, 945 of which were retained for analysis. In this research report, we reflect on factors that enabled or hampered data gathering using the Hate Crimes Monitoring Form; we report the key findings from the longitudinal study; and we make recommendations based on these findings. Between January 2013 and February 2017, more than 150 individual volunteers or members of staff representing at least 85 organisations were trained in the use of the Monitoring Form for the purpose of gathering data about the types of hate crimes that are being perpetrated in South Africa and the impact thereof on our society. This training drive resulted in the successful uptake of the Monitoring Form in a few organisations which are now able to monitor and record hate crimes within their constituencies. However the majority of service providers were unable to integrate the use of the Form into their operations, resulting in recording far fewer cases than expected and the skewing of the data towards only a few vulnerable sectors. Challenges in the data gathering process were categorised broadly as institutional (relating to case intake procedures and organisational capacity restrictions); individual (relating to the willingness of participants to disclose information); and instrumental (relating to difficulties experienced in the use of the Form itself). Nonetheless useful information emerged from the analysis of the available data and we were able to highlight a number of pertinent findings. Key among these findings is that prejudice is rife in our communities across all socio-economic levels and that it facilitates discrimination and ultimately the dehumanisation that preludes and accompanies hate crime. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: The Hate Crimes Working Group, 2018. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 12, 2019 at: http://hcwg.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Report-Hate-Bias-Crimes-Monitoring-Form-Project-SCREEN.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Bias Crime Shelf Number: 154076 |
Author: Abdoll, Carmen Title: Reducing Violence in South Africa: Resourcing Violence Prevention Summary: Facing shrinking incomes, governments must decide how to allocate funds among public services. This policy brief gives an overview of South African government budget decision making. It reviews opportunities and challenges related to funding primary programmes to prevent violence, and suggests that a unique approach is needed to advocate for funds. This is the second in a three-part series on reducing violence in South Africa. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2017. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 14, 2019 at: https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/reducing-violence-in-south-africa-resourcing-violence-prevention Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Budget Shelf Number: 154141 |
Author: Global Financial Integrity Title: South Africa: Potential Revenue Losses Associated with Trade Misinvoicing Summary: Executive Summary This report analyzes South Africa's bilateral trade statistics for 2010 - 2014 (the most recent years for which sufficient data are available) which are published by the United Nations (Comtrade). The detailed breakdown of bilateral South African trade flows allowed for the computation of trade value gaps that are the basis for trade misinvoicing estimates. Import gaps represent the difference between the value of goods South Africa reports having imported from its partner countries and the corresponding export reports by South Africa's trade partners. Export gaps represent the difference in value between what South Africa reports as having exported and what its partners report as imported. Analysis of trade misinvoicing in South Africa from 2010-2014 shows that the potential loss of revenue to the government is $7.4 billion annually or, a total of $37 billion during the period. The average portion of revenue lost due to import misinvoicing each year is $4.8 billion. This amount can be further divided into its component parts: uncollected VAT tax ($2.1 billion), customs duties ($596 million), and corporate income tax ($2.1 billion). Lost revenue due to misinvoiced exports was $2.6 billion on average each year which is related to lower than expected corporate income and royalties. The study also examined trade data from the South African Revenue Service in order to conduct an in-depth examination of import under-invoicing. This process analyzed approximately 7.4 million trade transactions which included more than 8,200 commodity types for the period 2010-2015. A key conclusion is that goods categories with a preponderance of under-invoicing tend to be associated with higher effective tax rates than other classes of imports. The data show that the top five categories for potential revenue loss related to import under-invoicing are machinery, knitted apparel, electrical machinery, non-knitted apparel, and vehicles. Three of these commodities (machinery, electrical machinery, and vehicles) are among the most commonly imported goods into South Africa. Trade misinvoicing occurs in four ways: under-invoicing of imports or exports, and over-invoicing of imports or exports. In the case of import under-invoicing fewer VAT taxes and customs duties are collected due to the lower valuation of goods. When import over-invoicing occurs (i.e. when companies pay more than would normally be expected for a product), corporate revenues are lower and therefore less income tax is paid. In export under-invoicing the exporting company collects less revenue than would be anticipated and therefore reports lower income. Thus, it pays less income tax. Corporate royalties are also lower. Total misinvoicing gaps related to imports can be broken down by under-invoicing ($16.3 billion) and over-invoicing ($9.8 billion). It should be noted that these figures represent the estimated value of the gap between what was reported by South Africa and its trading partners. The loss in government revenue is a subset of these amounts and is based on VAT tax rates (12.9 percent), 2 Global Financial Integrity customs duties (3.7 percent), corporate income taxes (21.7 percent), and royalties (1 percent) which are then applied to the value gap. Export misinvoicing gaps were $11.6 billion for export under-invoicing and $8.6 billion for export over-invoicing. Lost corporate income taxes and royalties are then applied to export under-invoicing amounts to calculate lost government revenue. The practice of trade misinvoicing has become normalized in many categories of international trade. It is a major contributor to poverty, inequality, and insecurity in emerging market and developing economies. The social cost attendant to trade misinvoicing undermines sustainable growth in living standards and exacerbates inequities and social divisions, issues which are critical in South Africa today. Details: Washington, DC: Global Financial Integrity, 2018. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8. 2019 at: https://www.gfintegrity.org/report/south-africa-potential-revenue-losses-associated-with-trade-misinvoicing/ Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Custom Duties Shelf Number: 154289 |
Author: Pullukattu, Liz Title: Prison City: Redesigning Pollsmoor Prison Summary: Rehabilitating the Prison System: The prison system in South Africa is a harsh and ineffective system that emphasises the need to punish rather than rehabilitate and reintegrate the incarcerated back into society. Although a lot of prisons in South Africa host a number of workshops and activities which have been introduced to inmates for such purposes- the recidivism rates of offenders, that have ended up in the penal system, has failed to drop or decline. A Process of deconstruction and synthesis: The method of this study is to analyse and deconstruct existing prison or correctional/ penitentiary/ rehabilitation institute landscapes into potential design components and then synthesise these into environments that can promote the rehabilitation of prisoners. The projects analysed are of international and South African origin, and are of prisons or mental and other high-security institutions. The analysed projects will be looked at as potential interventions that can be synthesised within the landscapes (rather, lack of landscapes) of Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town. Looking into redesigning Pollsmoor Prisona prison where conditions do not support opportunities for rehabilitation and integration and where bland, cold concrete and brick facades enclose inmates for mostly 23-hours a day. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town. 2017. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 15, 2019 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/28134 Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Pollsmoor Prison Shelf Number: 154617 |
Author: Thomas, Kim Title: Being Resilient: Learning from community responses to gangs in Cape Town: Reflections from a Manenberg activist Summary: South Africa, which has long experienced an exceptionally high rate of violent crime, has seen a worrying increase in the murder rate in recent years. Cape Town, which has the highest murder rate of all the country's major cities, has experienced the sharpest increase, with a murder rate of 69 per 100 000 (2018 figures). Manenberg, one apartheid-era Cape Town suburb of many crippled by gang control and violence, has a staggeringly high murder rate, however, of 108 per 100 000. This is comparable to some of the most violent cities anywhere in the world.The extremely high murder rate is largely attributable to gang-related violence. More than 10 large gangs and about 40 smaller ones are thought to operate in Manenberg, an urban area of only 3.35 square kilometres. The neighbourhood is also home to some of Cape Town's most notorious and violent gangs. These gangs introduced drugs and violence on a level that the community had never experienced before.This case study on Manenberg, which focuses in particular on the experiences of one activist organization that works in the community there, forms part of the Global Initiative's broader Resilience Project (#GIresilience Project). It focuses on Manenberg, not only because the area has long been notorious for its gang violence, but also because it is a community that stands out as a sterling example of activism and community resilience in the face of the huge levels of violence it lives with and negotiates on a daily basis. The document, however, not only looks at Manenberg as a case of extreme violence, and at one NGO's efforts to build up resilience to it - it is also intended as a practical toolkit for those who wish to replicate the resilience model in the face of violent organized crime elsewhere. People living in communities ravaged by violent crime face complex challenges and building community resilience is increasingly being shown to be an important part of the overall response mechanism.In particular, this toolkit incorporates lessons learnt from the Manenberg Safety Forum. As such, it offers practical, transferrable advice tips that can provide guidance to any organization looking to replicate the Manenberg Safety Forum's resilience initiatives and develop a set of guidelines to help establish and sustain resilience in other contexts threatened by high levels of criminality. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2018. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2019 at: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TGIATOC-ManenburgWeb-FA.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Gang Violence Shelf Number: 154729 |
Author: Bruederle, Anna Title: Weather and Crime in South Africa Summary: South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, incurring high cost for society. The present paper examines the effect of weather shocks on various types of crime. Using a 12-year panel data set at monthly resolution on the police ward level, we demonstrate a short-term effect of warmer temperatures on violent crime and thereby offer support for the heat-aggression link as suggested by psychological research. Furthermore, we find evidence for a mid-term effect of weather on crime via agricultural income, which is in line with the economic theory of crime. Our findings have direct policy implications for the design of crime prevention strategies, in which weather forecasts could play an important role. Details: Essen, Germany: RWI - Leibniz-Institut fur Wirtschaftsforschung, 2017. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Ruhr Economic Papers #739: Accessed February 22, 2019 at: http://en.rwi-essen.de/media/content/pages/publikationen/ruhr-economic-papers/rep_17_739.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Heat-Aggression Link Shelf Number: 154731 |
Author: Gichanga, Margaret W. Title: Canine Protection: Dogs and Dog Handlers in the South African Private Security Industry Summary: The renewed interest in the regulation of dogs and dog handlers in the private security industry in South Africa represents a bold leap forward envisioned in imminent amendments to the Private Security Industry Regulatory Act 56 of 2001, in the form of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Bill of 2012. The Bill is currently awaiting signature from the President of the Republic, after which it will become law. The Bill underpins certain research imperatives that are intended to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of the current legislation in order to reinforce and curtail these, respectively. Clause 35 21 A (o) of the Amendment Bill seeks to emphasize that the Minister is intended to make regulations relating to 'the training, registration, transportation and general care of working animals by security service providers and other persons who employ security officers, in connection with rendering a security service, as well as the registration of training centers with regard thereto.' The PSIRA Act 56 of 2001 is the legislative point of reference for the regulation of private security services and signaled the formation of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) to ensure the implementation of the prescripts of the Act. This report analyzes the regulatory approach towards the dogs and dog handling sector of the private security industry. The aim is to identify the shortcomings in this approach and address these to facilitate enhanced regulation of this sector that is conducive to, ensuring proper care of dogs and proper working conditions for security officers employed as dog handlers. Understanding what entails in the regulation of dogs and dog handlers in the private security industry will form the point of departure for this research report. Details: Johannesburg: Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA), 2015. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/Canine_Protection-Dogs%20and_Dog-Handlers_31March2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Animal Welfare Shelf Number: 154984 |
Author: Urban-Econ Development Economists Pty Ltd Title: Car Guard/ Watch Industry Consumer Survey 2018 Summary: Introduction Urban-Econ Development Economists were commissioned by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) to conduct a survey of consumers throughout South Africa that utilise car guard or watch services and entities that employ car watch services at their facilities. The purpose of the research study is to survey the consumers of the car guard or car watch industry in terms of the level of satisfaction for services rendered, their knowledge of the requirements of compliance and the impact this has on their safety and security. The research findings are based on primary data collected during the surveys, from which certain recommendations have been provided for the PSiRA and the security industry. Project Brief The outcome of the study is focused on providing an analysis of consumer knowledge regarding the security compliance requirements by PSiRA and the overall impact that car guards have on safety and security. Therefore, in order to obtain relevant information, questionnaires were circulated to consumers that utilise car guard/ watch services throughout South Africa to gain valuable input from these individuals or entities. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Urban-Econ Development Economists Pty Ltd, 2018. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/PSiRA%20Car%20Guard%20Report%20(003).pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Car Guards Shelf Number: 154991 |
Author: Gichanga, Margaret W. Title: Armoured Security: Regulating High Value Goods in Transit Summary: The South African Assets-In-Transit (AIT) industry has grown significantly, reflecting global patterns. This growth has occurred parallel to the country's burgeoning economy and high crime rates. The industry's evolution indicates that risks associated with the flow of valuable assets and their transportation necessitated adjustments. Corporations and various business entities make use of AIT security providers for the transportation of precious stones and metals, cash, electronic goods etc. AIT security providers are contracted directly and there is no interface with the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the transportation of high value goods and the consequent high level of security required to move them. The AIT as a sector has evolved and integrates the highest quality operational standards for the handful of private security companies (PSCs) that can afford the costs associated with the provision of this service. Conversely, there do exist PSCs that do not adhere to this high quality, high cost environment, rather they operate within this high risk sector using an inordinate level of discretion in their operations. Ideally, the assets being moved determine the levels of anticipated risk, which are segmented and linked to the levels of security employed. This stance has been articulated by members of the industry who have developed their own standards to meet challenges experienced in service provision. The concerns of the AIT industry are too wide in scope to be effectively addressed under the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) sphere of influence, the point of reference in relation to how assets-in-transit are regulated. This report identifies that the industry needs implementable changes that are supported by multi-sector commitment and robust engagement. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Private Security Industry Development Authority, 2018. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/Amoured_security_web.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Armored Security Shelf Number: 154994 |
Author: Netshivhuyu, Daniel Title: The Private Eye Under the Microscope: Towards the Effective Regulations of the Private Investigation Industry within the South African Private Security Industry Summary: As at 22nd September 2017, 546 private investigators were registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA). PSiRA's role is to regulate the private security industry and to exercise effective control over the practice of occupation of security service provider in the public and national interest and in the interest of the industry. This study shows that the South African private security industry is evolving as private investigators are gaining recognition in the industry. Previously there was a misconception that private investigators were specifically known for doing surveillances for spouses who suspected their partners of cheating. Although this is part of the work that private investigators do, people now hire them for other reasons for example corporate cases. The growth of private investigation industry in South Africa has led to certain individuals taking advantage of this by posing as private investigators and defrauding people of their money. By law, practitioners trading as private investigators must register with PSiRA. The findings of the study show that many registered private investigators were displeased with rogue private investigators that were defrauding clients of their money. This reflects negatively on the private investigation industry and legitimate private investigators which are labelled as fraudsters. The general public does not know of the requirements that private investigators must have in order to practice as private investigators. This can be linked to the fact that PSiRA arguably has not been very active in regulating the private investigation industry. The report looks at the need of how PSiRA can actively take part in the growth of the private security industry and how to better monitor private investigators who are practicing in South Africa. The report also makes recommendations on how departments within PSiRA can actively take part in the monitoring and regulation of private investigators. In doing so it decreases the chances of having rogue private investigators claiming to be private investigators defraud people of their money. In turn this brings dignity to the industry of private investigators and public trust to legitimate private investigators. The report also looks at the need to have rogue private investigators brought to book because all too often nothing happens to them once they have been reported. Recommendations have been made in this report on how to effectively regulate the private investigation industry especially with regards to consumers right and the PSiRA code of conduct. This is vital because it will protect vulnerable people from falling victim to people who want to defraud them of their money. It will also prevent emotional turmoil whereby people's money will not be wrongfully taken from them. Finances have a huge impact on people's lives taking into consideration that life mostly revolves around money. The report also makes recommendations on the standards of private investigation training. All too often people think they can be private investigators because the public does not know that there are requirements that need to be met before becoming a private investigator. There also needs to be constant monitoring by PSiRA inspectors on private investigators in order to establish if they are still complying with the laws of regulations of private investigators. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/Private_investigations_web.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Defrauding Clients Shelf Number: 154993 |
Author: Demacon Title: PSIRA Private Security Intermediary Survey Summary: DEMACON Market Studies were commissioned by PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority) to undertake consumer surveys to attain a better understanding of the utilisation of intermediary security providers. Four types of intermediary security providers were identified by the client: - Labour Brokers - Independent Contractors - Co-operatives - Security Learnerships The purpose of this report is to reflect on the findings attained via the set of consumer surveys undertaken nationally across the provinces. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: DEMACON, 2018. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/DEMACON%20PSIRA%20Private%20Security%20Intermediary%20Survey_December_2018_PSIRA%20LOGO%20in%20Legend.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Intermediary Security Providers Shelf Number: 154992 |
Author: Gumedze, Sabelo, ed. Title: Sworn to Protect and Defend: Close Protection within the South African Private Security Industry Summary: The number of registered businesses specializing in close protection in South Africa currently stands at 2, 465. These businesses employ a considerable number of security officers. As part of the private security industry, the close protection sub-industry has become a force to be reckoned with. Despite this high number of businesses providing close protection services, only 225 were inspected during the financial year 2015/16, thus casting a doubt on whether this industry is effectively regulated and controlled by the Authority. The study found that close protection is a specialized type of security service which takes more than just a PSiRA Grade C, which is the current minimum requirement for becoming a close protection officer. The Grade C training is just too basic as it only deals with access control on higher risk and supervision of lower grade security officers. The level of discipline and expertise required of a close protection officer could in no way be equated to a PSiRA Grade C holder. This report underscores the need for a re-look at this specialized field of private security. It emphasizes the importance of developing regulatory frameworks that would be specifically addressing the close protection industry in South Africa. In doing so it makes a case for professionalizing the industry, which was arguably a subject of neglect in so far as PSiRA was concerned. The existence of unregistered close protection officers as well as the "exportation" of close protection services in contravention with the South African law is quite alarming. The need for PSiRA inspectors to understand the industry is important for purposes of ensuring compliance within the industry. The study found it disturbing that there is no legal definition for close protection. This becomes an issue as anyone wishing to be in the industry can participate, sometimes without the necessary training requirements and with the use of illegal firearms. It is equally disturbing that the industry is still male and white dominated after more than two decades since South Africa became democratic. This is an indictment of the Authority, whose mandate is to encourage the ownership and control of security businesses by persons historically disadvantaged through unfair discrimination, and to promote the empowerment and advancement of persons who were historically disadvantaged through unfair discrimination in the private security industry. As informed by the study conducted on the subject matter, the report makes recommendations that are pertinent to ensuring that the Authority effectively regulates and controls the close protection industry. For instance, there is a proposition that regulations for the close protection industry be developed in order to ensure compliance. The "fit and proper" test which is a requirement for registering as a security service provider must be of a higher standard than an ordinary PSiRA Grade-C holder. The need for professionalizing the close protection industry cannot be overemphasized. Largely, this has to do with ensuring high training standards for would-be close protection officers. Professionalizing the close protection industry is also linked to ensuring that close protection officers have integrity and are trustworthy. The report also recommends effective inspections of close protection businesses and an establishment of close protection submit within the PSiRA. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, 2017. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/PSIRA_Sworn_to_Protect_and_Defend_web_version_(1).pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Close Protection Services Shelf Number: 154998 |
Author: Gumedze, Sabelo, ed. Title: The Barrel of the Gun: Improving the Regulation and Control of the Use of Firearms within the Private Security Industry in South Africa Summary: The total number of private security businesses with firearm licenses currently stands at 3,345. The total number of firearms licensed to the private security businesses stands at 101,623. The number of PSiRA inspectors in charge of ensuring compliance with the law stands at 65. Given these figures, this report seeks to find ways on how best the regulation and control of the use of firearms within the private security industry could be improved. Underscoring the fact that currently PSiRA cannot effectively regulate and control the use of firearms within the industry, it can, however, make a contribution towards effective regulation and control in collaboration with the Central Firearms Registry. The need for increased firearms regulation and control within the private security industry cannot be overemphasized. This report highlights the fact that whilst PSiRA has a critical role to play in assisting with the control of firearms within the private security industry, the ultimate control responsibility lies solely with the Central Firearms Registry, which is responsible for considering firearms license applications as well as monitoring compliance in terms of the Firearms Control Act. This means that PSiRA can only do so much within its means and competences. Acknowledging the dearth of literature on the use of firearms in the private security sector, this report nevertheless raises some of the challenges faced by PSiRA in so far as the regulation and control of the use of firearms in the private security sector is concerned. The report underscores the need for PSiRA to brace itself for an industry that is not only growing at an exponential rate, but an industry which is in possession of more than a hundred licensed firearms. The 62 inspectors who are responsible for ensuring compliance in terms of the private security businesses with licensed firearms are generally not competent in handling firearms. The report points to the need for the enactment of regulations that will specifically address the use of firearms within the private security sector. This is also in line with the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Act, 2013, which will be in operation in the not too distant future. The regulations should also take into consideration the new amendments which are currently proposed for the Firearms Control Act. The report highlights some of the current challenges faced by PSiRA, such as non-compliance in the possession and use of firearms, non-inspection of firearms training centres, inaccuracy of and accessibility to the Central Firearms Registry (CFR) database, and losses of firearms in the private security industry. In order to improve the regulation and control of the use of firearms within the private security industry, the report recommends the following: that information must be shared between the CFR and PSiRA; that PSiRA inspectors must be trained and be competent to handle firearms; that firearms training centres must be registered with PSiRA and subject to its inspections; and that PSiRA must register and keep a register of firearms within the private security industry. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, 2016. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/ResearchReport-Barrel_of_the_Gun.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Central Firearms Registry Shelf Number: 154999 |
Author: Gichanga, Margaret W. Title: Securing the Theatre for Champions: Special Events Security of the Private Security Sector in South Africa Summary: The primary objectives of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) are to regulate the private security industry and to exercise effective control over the practice of the occupation of security service provider in the public and national interest and in the interest of the private security industry itself. The Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act, No. 2 of 2010 (SASREA) sets out to ensure the safety of people attending events, as well as their property. The enactment of SASREA is largely in response to incidents that have taken place in which spectators were injured or killed. Important to note is that the SASREA does not work in isolation and local authorities play a pivotal role in this process. Special events security also has a public relations component and the success of special events has a lot to do with being conscious of the client's needs. Special events security differs drastically from usual security guarding and entails not only the protection of property but also the protection of delegates and guests. Hence, there is a bigger emphasis on the customer and being able to handle vital risks. This requires higher quality standards and a special events security officer needs to be able to think on their feet. PSiRA was not viewed as an important stakeholder when SASREA was being promulgated in parliament, and was barely consulted during the drafting process. This arguably created a lapse in awareness of and compliance with PSiRA regulatory principles. Notwithstanding this lacuna, the PSiRA legislation continues to be relevant for this aspect of security provision and its enforcement is applied without exception. This is despite a distinct emphasis of the importance of private security actors and their regulation within the SASREA regulations. Some provisions in the SASREA regulations are not comprehensively enforced. The lack of physical training for special events security is highlighted as a major shortcoming, as visiting a classroom would not enable a special events security officer to know how to deal with large crowds. Internal measures that must take root within the Authority are linked to the curbing of identity fraud and enhancing coordination with all relevant stakeholders related to the special events sector. For the most part, the South African special events sector of the private security industry can be described as being professional. The sector is one that employs thorough planning prior to events; this has led to clear and distinct communication routes. The hosting of major international and domestic sports and recreational events around the country without any major security lapses demonstrates the measures in place to integrate checks and balances for special events. However, room for improvement still exists, particularly as far as the involvement of the private security industry and its regulation is concerned. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, 2016. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: https://www.psira.co.za/psira/dmdocuments/research/PSIRA%20Special%20Events%20Research%20Report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Event Security Shelf Number: 155000 |
Author: Schnetler, Johann Title: Should the police be assessed using crime statistics? Summary: Using crime statistics as an indicator of police performance is problematic. Many variables influence increases and decreases in crime rates that cannot necessarily be attributed to police performance. This policy brief argues that crime statistics should be used for strategic, operational and tactical purposes and not necessarily to measure police performance. Key findings A weakness of the government's Medium Term Strategic Framework: 2014-2019 (MTSF) is that the set of performance measures for the different criminal justice system (CJS) departments are not clearly linked. The CJS departments draft individual strategic plans, annual performance plans and annual reports. This leads to largely compartmentalised reporting and planning, which makes it difficult to track performance of reported and investigated cases across the CJS departments. Joint planning sessions with the Presidency aim to align MTSF indicators with strategic and annual performance plans, but CJS departments report on these plans on an individual basis. This has led to gaps in analysis when studying CJS processes, such as the relationship between the reported serious crime figures, the detection rate, court-ready cases and the conviction rate as reported by the South African Police Service (SAPS) versus the prosecution of cases by the National Prosecuting Authority and the total number of prisoners according to the Department of Correctional Services. Even if cross-departmental indicators are developed, performance measures relating to the CJS remain problematic, as one must bear in mind that cases run over multiple financial years, which challenges year-on-year comparisons. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2018. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 116, Accessed March 18, 2019 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb116.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa Keywords: Crime Statistics Shelf Number: 155032 |
Author: Kruger, Tinus Title: Making South Africa Safe: A Manual for Community-based Crime Prevention Summary: Crime and violence affect the quality of life of every South African. Reducing crime and building safer communities require the commitment of everyone and require the implementation of crime prevention initiatives at community level. Government policy and legislation urge local government to take the lead in implementing local level crime prevention programmes. This makes sense, since local government is often in the best position to do this. The key to reducing crime lies in having several organisations work together in a partnership. These efforts need to be co-ordinated and led by a committed team, and local government could play this role. A crime prevention strategy provides a useful framework to support the development and implementation of crime prevention initiatives at local level. The purpose of this manual is to support those responsible for such a strategy. It provides concise, user-friendly, practical guidance and outlines a step-by-step process to develop and implement a community-based crime prevention strategy. It is aimed primarily at local government, but others involved in community safety such as a Community Police Forum (CPF), Community Safety Forum (CSF) or other type of community organisation could also benefit from it. What is a community crime prevention strategy? - An action plan or strategy to prevent crime and violence and reduce public fear of crime. - A tool to bring together different role-players involved in crime prevention. - A means of developing local crime prevention partnerships. - A method to ensure co-ordination and management of crime prevention initiatives. - A way to identify priority areas and tasks. The manual is divided into two sections. The first provides background that would assist you in understanding the concept of crime and violence prevention, it explains what is expected in terms of the latest government policy and legislation, and what kinds of structures are needed at the local level to support a sound strategy. The second section provides you with a step-by-step guide to assist you in developing and implementing a strategy, outlining the activities involved in conducting a community safety audit, assimilating the information gathered to guide the development of a strategy, identifying priorities, developing and implementing programmes and projects and monitoring and evaluating the strategy. Details: Pretoria: The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 2016. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2019 at: https://www.csir.co.za/sites/default/files/Documents/Making%20South%20Africa%20Safe.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Community Safety Shelf Number: 155036 |
Author: Haysom, Simone Title: The Illicit Tobacco Trade in Zimbabwe and South Africa: Impacts and Solutions Summary: This groundbreaking study of the illicit tobacco trade in southern Africa explores how this trade supports organized crime, helps enable official corruption, and erodes state structures. A major feature of South Africa's, and to a lesser extent Zimbabwe's, political economy revolves around conflict-overt and covert, violent and non-violent-over who makes the most money from the illicit tobacco trade, who controls that trade, and how the state responds to it. This conflict now takes places in the midst of huge political transitions within the ruling parties of both countries. The study maps the key dimensions of the illicit cigarette trade in Zimbabwe and South Africa, including the key actors, the pathways of trade and the accompanying 'modalities' of criminality, as well as other important dimensions of the illicit cigarette market in southern Africa. It identifies "good-faith actors," primarily in South Africa, whose positions could be strengthened by policy and technical interventions, explores opportunities for such intervention, and assesses the practical solutions that can be applied to combat illicit trade and tax evasion in the tobacco industry. Details: Washington, DC: Atlantic Council, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, 2019. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed April 13, 2019 at: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/images/publications/The_Illicit_Tobacco_Trade_in_Zimbabwe_and_South_Africa.pdf Year: 2019 Country: South Africa Keywords: Illegal Tobacco Trade Shelf Number: 155397 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "We Know Out Lives Are in Danger": Environment of Fear in South Africa's Mining-Affected Communities Summary: n South Africa, people living in mining-affected communities are raising concerns about, and advocating for, protection from the serious social, health, and environmental harms that can result from mining activities. Many of these activists have experienced threats, physical attacks, or damage to their property that they believe are acts of retaliation for their activism, while others have received threatening phone calls from unidentified numbers. "We Know Our Lives Are in Danger": Environment of Fear in South Africa's Mining-Affected Communities documents attacks and other forms of intimidation against activists in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northwest, and Eastern Cape provinces between 2013 and 2018. This report found that municipalities often impose burdens on organizers of protests which have no legal basis and make protests difficult and sometimes impossible. Activists in mining-affected communities also face police misconduct, including arbitrary arrest and excessive use of force, which is part of a larger pattern in South Africa. Also, mining companies in South Africa have been using legal tactics, including both strategic litigation against public participation and social media campaigns, to harass activists and organizations who are challenging them. South African authorities and companies should take a zero tolerance approach to threats and abuses against rights defenders in mining-affected communities. The government should direct officials at all levels to comply with the country's domestic and international obligations to guarantee the rights to protest and free speech in mining areas. Details: New York: Authors, 2019. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2019 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/southafrica0419_web.pdf Year: 2019 Country: South Africa Keywords: Demonstrations and Protests Shelf Number: 155423 |
Author: Haysom, Simone Title: Hiding in plain sight: Heroin's stealthy takeover of South Africa Summary: The heroin route that crosses South Africa has created a regional heroin economy, with severe social and political repercussions. Heroin use has developed in both major cities and small towns - an important shift in local drug markets that is taking a toll on thousands of people. This policy brief sheds light on the domestic heroin economy, analyses its implications and proposes responses to its drivers and consequences. An effective response will need to consider political factors and must be regionally coordinated. Market dynamics and harm-reduction approaches should also be included. The most sustainable strategies address root causes, disrupt markets and tackle corruption. Key points ∙ Problematic heroin use is widespread in major metros - and in small and medium-sized towns. Local and provincial governments are bearing the brunt of the resultant costs. ∙ A regional political response is needed to address the corruption that facilitates the trade. ∙ Domestically, the heroin economy needs a focussed strategy from the state, despite resource constraints. ∙ The police and other state elements should develop evidence-based analysis of the heroin economy and of the broader societal costs of punitive approaches to drug users. ∙ The state response must tackle the drivers of problematic drug use and gang recruitment, which are rooted in developmental issues. Details: s.l.: ENACT, 2019. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue 07: Accessed April 16, 2019 at: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2019-04-09-heroin-south-africa-policy-brief.pdf Year: 2019 Country: South Africa Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Shelf Number: 155429 |
Author: South African Law Reform Commission Title: Sexual Offences: Pornography and Children Summary: 1. As part of the overarching investigation into the review of all sexual offences, this discussion paper seeks to review the legislative framework that currently applies to children in respect of pornography and child sexual abuse material within the larger framework of all statutory and common law sexual offences. The secondary aim is to consider the need for law reform in relation to the legislative framework governing children and pornography and where necessary to make preliminary recommendations in this regard. 2. The opportunities offered by the mass media to access a varied and vast amount of information, educational material and entertainment and to actively engage in remote communication using electronic tools do not come without risks. One of the risks that children face when engaging with the mass media and using electronic tools in South Africa is that they may intentionally seek or unintentionally be exposed to pornography or child pornography (described as child sexual abuse material in this discussion paper). This material may be illegal or may only be legal for adults. 3. For the purpose of this paper, five areas of concern have been identified: - Access to or exposure of a child to pornography; - Creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material; - Explicit self-images created and distributed by a child; - Grooming of a child and other sexual contact crimes associated with or which are facilitated by child sexual abuse material; and - Investigation, procedural matters and sentencing 4. This discussion paper aims to identify gaps in the manner in which the law currently regulates and protects children from being exposed to pornography or from being used to create child sexual abuse material. It reflects the submissions made to the Commission in response to its issue paper, discusses identified gaps and makes preliminary legislative and non-legislative recommendations. Its purpose is to serve as a basis for in-depth deliberation on the law reform needed to protect children and to test public opinion on the solutions identified by the Commission. It also discusses concerns relating to implementation. This approach aligns with the expanded mandate of the South African Law Reform Commission's (Commission) Project 107: Sexual Offences umbrella project on sexual offences i.e. to encourage action by the appropriate government structures and to galvanise communities to participate in the fight against sexual violence. 5. The discussion paper has six chapters. Chapter one provides an overview of the investigation and includes reference to the legislative developments in a number of government departments in South Africa. Chapter two focuses on the access to or exposure of a child to pornography (legal adult sexual material). Chapter three looks at the phenomenon of children creating and distributing self-generated sexual material (commonly referred to as 'sexting'). It seeks to make proposals for law reform that acknowledge the immaturity of some children whilst recognising the seriousness of this material falling into the hands of sexual exploiters or into the hands of a variety of third parties who may use the material for nefarious purposes. Chapter four investigates the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material and addresses the need for uniform definitions and a central repository of crimes to deal with these sexual offences. Chapter five addresses the act of grooming a child and the use of pornography and child sexual abuse material in this process. Chapter 6 provides insight into some aspects of the investigation, procedures and sentencing in matters where children have been exposed to pornography or child sexual abuse material; have engaged in the creation or distribution of self-generated sexual material; or have been groomed through the use of pornography or child sexual abuse material to produce child sexual abuse material or to engage in sexual acts. The discussion paper contains provisional legislative and non-legislative recommendations (some in the form of options). The Commission requests comment on the discussion paper, particularly the provisional recommendations made in it and the draft Bill which accompanies it. 6. Following the discussion paper, the Commission will publish a report containing the Commission's final recommendations and proposal for law reform by way of draft legislation, if necessary. The report will take the public response to and input gleaned from public and expert workshops on the discussion paper into account in arriving at its final recommendations The report (with draft legislation, if necessary) will be submitted to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services for his consideration. Details: Pretoria: Author, 2019. 436p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper 149: Accessed April 24, 2019 at: http://www.justice.gov.za/salrc/dpapers/dp149-prj107-SexualOffences-PornographyChildren2019.pdf Year: 2019 Country: South Africa Keywords: Child Grooming Shelf Number: 155498 |
Author: South African Law Reform Commission Title: Sexual Offences: Adult Prostitution Summary: The Report on Sexual Offences: Adult Prostitution published by the South African Law Reform Commission (the Commission) has sought to explore the need for law reform in relation to adult prostitution against the backdrop of some of the complex realities South Africans face. Within the current South African context the debate around adult prostitution has been complicated by the global economic downturn, high levels of unemployment, crippling poverty, burgeoning numbers of migrant and illegal foreign job seekers, high levels of violence (particularly sexual violence) against women, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, drug or substance abuse, and the targeted exploitation of women engaging in prostitution by third parties, unethical authorities and buyers. 2. The aim of this Report, as was the aim of the Issue Paper 3 and Discussion Paper 4 which preceded this Report, is to review the fragmented legislative framework that currently regulates adult prostitution within the larger framework of all statutory and common law sexual offences. The statutory provisions under review are contained in the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957 (the Sexual Offences Act). The secondary aim is to consider the need for law reform in relation to adult prostitution and to identify alternative policy and legislative responses that might regulate, prevent, deter or reduce prostitution. As there are a range of legal responses to prostitution in -open and democratic societies it is essentially a matter of policy to decide which legislative model accords with governments' goals and strategies (see para 2.493) Details: Pretoria: Author, 2017. 531p. Source: Internet Resource: Project 107: Accessed April 25, 2019 at: http://pmg-assets.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/170531SALRC_REPORT.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa Keywords: Modern Slavery Shelf Number: 155520 |
Author: Martin, Alan Title: Uncovered: The dark world of the Zama Zamas Summary: Illegal artisanal mining in South Africa is among the most lucrative and violent on the African continent, with lost production exceeding R14 billion (about USD$1 billion) a year. Current enforcement and policy responses, which criminalise illegal miners, are misguided, counterproductive and ignore the poverty and socio-economic drivers behind the phenomenon. A more holistic, nuanced and multi-faceted approach is required from government and industry to address the lack of formalisation and the marginalisation of the illegal mining sector. Key points -- - Illegal mining in South Africa should be considered to be artisanal mining within large-scale mines, not separate from them. - While Zama Zamas are members of, or associated with, criminal syndicates, they are not homogenous groupings. - The violence and insecurity caused by the criminality associated with illegal mining makes some mining areas in South Africa more chaotic and conflict-ridden than those elsewhere in Africa. - Rough estimates of Zama Zama outputs suggest that lost gold production may exceed R14 billion a year, making South Africa one of the biggest sources of illicit gold in Africa. - The true cost of illegal mining activity includes damage to public and private infrastructure caused by vandalism or poor mining practices, as well as the costs of security upgrades undertaken by mining companies to address illegal breaches. Details: s.l.: Enact, 2019. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief: Accessed May 8, 2019 at: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2019-04-23-zama-zama-policy-brief%20022.pdf Year: 2019 Country: South Africa Keywords: Artisanal Mining Shelf Number: 155692 |
Author: Keikelame, Johannah Title: Mpathekoombi, ya bantu abadala: elder abuse in black townships on the Cape Flats Summary: This report describes an exploratory, qualitative study conducted on the Cape Flats to investigate elder abuse in Xhosa-speaking communnities. The study was conducted in partnership with the Ikamva Labantu Project. The research findings presented in the report will be disseminated in a workshop to be held in Guguletu on 15 March 2000. Details: S.L., Human Sciences Research Council, 2000. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 31, 2019 at: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/research-outputs/view/2842 Year: 2000 Country: South Africa Keywords: Community Engagement Shelf Number: 156131 |
Author: Koekemoer, Hannes Title: A Comprehensive Discussion on Cash-in-Transit Robbery: A Contemporary Crime Phenomenon in the South African Context Summary: Cash in transit heists and robberies have been popularised by recent movie trends, The Italian job (2003), the Fast and the furious franchise (2001 - 2015) and many other pop culture films. The films are usually depicted from the criminal's perspective and are unrealistic in that there are many explosions but no casualties. In reality Cash-in-transit robberies are violent, messy and result in loss of life and a lot of money. This paper will discuss Cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery as a contemporary criminological issue in South Africa Details: S.L., 2015. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2019 at: https://www.academia.edu/10660937/A_Comprehensive_discussion_on_Cash-in-Transit_Robbery Year: 2015 Country: South Africa Keywords: Cash Transfers Shelf Number: 156169 |
Author: Corruption Watch Title: State capture and the political manipulation of criminal justice agencies. A joint submission to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture Summary: This joint submission from Corruption Watch and the Institute for Security Studies, two South African civil society organisations, is concerned with the manipulation of criminal justice agencies by the Executive under the administration of former president Jacob Zuma. This manipulation was a critical factor in entrenching state capture. The criminal justice agencies that are focused on are the South African Police Service (SAPS), particularly its crime intelligence division; the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks); the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA); and to a lesser degree, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). Manipulation of these agencies by the Executive has ensured impunity for members of the Executive (including the former president himself), their key political allies, and those involved in their networks of patronage. It has also been used to intimidate and coerce opponents, as well as employees of the criminal justice system. In addition, the crime intelligence division of the SAPS was used to promote the power of the dominant faction within the ANC during the Zuma era, inter alia by manipulating party processes such as national, provincial and local internal elections. Manipulation of the criminal justice system was also in evidence during the Thabo Mbeki era. However under the Zuma era it was pursued more consistently and aggressively, to the point where it was pursued at the expense of the criminal justice system and thus of the safety and security of South Africans. The issue of manipulation of criminal justice agencies is directly relevant to the terms of reference of this Commission. Increased manipulation of criminal justice agencies during the Zuma era was strongly connected to the viability of the state capture project. Apart from explicitly protecting Zuma and his family and friends from prosecution, the manipulation of criminal justice agencies functioned to secure control of the ANC for the Zuma faction. The viability of state capture in South Africa relied on the control of the ANC by Jacob Zuma and his allies and ensuring that they were not held accountable for illegal activity. At its broadest level the Commission is concerned with the involvement of public representatives, public servants and personnel attached to state entities in criminal acts that constitute corruption and fraud, and that involve illegal 'inducements for gain'. Manipulation of criminal justice agencies allowed high-level corruption to proliferate by ensuring that criminal justice agencies largely disregarded it. Manipulation of criminal justice agencies has not affected all criminal justice agencies equally at all times. In some cases senior leaders of agencies have resisted interference. Nevertheless, during the Zuma presidency, the Executive, and their agents within state agencies, consistently and repeatedly sought to undermine the ability of criminal justice agencies to function independently and in line with constitutional principles. Structure and purpose of this submission A major part of this submission is devoted to outlining evidence that provides the basis for the contention that criminal justice agencies have been manipulated. Currently, partly as a consequence of various court judgments pertaining to the Hawks, IPID and NPA, the legal provisions regarding these bodies may be regarded as largely consistent with international standards for the independence of anti-corruption bodies and criminal justice agencies. However one source of vulnerability has been the authority of the Executive regarding senior appointments in the SAPS, Hawks and NPA. These have amounted to an 'Achilles heel' with respect to their integrity and independence. Provisions relating to procedures for removal from office have also been undermined. The submission discusses in some detail the way in which appointment and removal processes have been manipulated. It also outlines the basis for allegations regarding the involvement of some of those appointed in undermining the functioning of the key criminal justice agencies. However the evidence that is provided in this regard is merely provided in order to demonstrate the basis for the assertion that there has been systematic manipulation of the criminal justice system. The purpose of this submission is ultimately preventive in nature as encapsulated in the recommendations at the end of this submission. These are proposed steps that, it is motivated, should be taken by government to reduce the risk of future manipulation of criminal justice agencies, which has been a key enabler for state capture. Details: Pretoria: Authors, 2019. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2019 at: https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/attachments/78672_iss-corruption-watch-submission-to-the-zondo-commission-1-april-2019.pdf Year: 2019 Country: South Africa Keywords: Criminal Justice System Shelf Number: 156708 |
Author: Morgan, N. Title: Factors associated with recidivism: A retrospective analysis of state patients admitted to Sterkfontein Hospital Summary: Aim This study examined common factors associated with recidivism amongst state patients at Sterkfontein Hospital. More specifically, demographic, clinical and criminological factors of a recidivist group were compared to a non-recidivist group with the intention of understanding to what extent these factors might determine the likelihood of re-offending. Method -- A retrospective case file review of 293 inpatients and a random selection of 120 outpatients was conducted. For the purpose of the study a patient was classified as a recidivist if an additional charge or act of violence was added to the file whilst the patient was on leave of absence. Of the inpatients only those who met the criteria for recidivism were included in the study. All 120 randomly selected outpatients were included. Demographic, clinical and criminological data were captured for all patients. Results -- Of the 293 inpatients 60 patients met the criteria for recidivism. Twenty out of 120 outpatients were classified as recidivists. Thus 80 recidivists were compared to 100 nonrecidivists. Using the 𝑥 2 and Fischer's exact test substance use disorder, antisocial personality disorder, an index offence of assault and in-ward adverse events were found to be associated with recidivism (p<0.05). Using logistic regression analysis the odds of recidivism in a patient with an index offence of assault was 8.4 (95% CI 1.6- 43.1) times of that who did not commit assault as an index offence. The odds of recidivism for patients with cannabis use was 2.8 (95% CI 1.3- 6.0) and for patients with in-ward sexual offence was 17.2 (95% CI 2.0-150). Conclusion -- This study suggests that state patients with comorbid substance use disorder and antisocial personality disorder are at higher risk for reoffending. Clinicians should also be aware of the potential risk amongst state patients with a charge of assault and patients who are found to be involved in in-ward adverse events. Important criminal history factors and certain clinical factors could however not be interpreted due to large amounts of missing data in patients' files. Details: Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand, 2016. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 27, 2019 at: http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/21206/Dr%20N%20Morgan.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Shelf Number: 156716 |
Author: Corruption Watch Title: Asylum at a Price: How Corruption Impacts Those Seeking Legal Protection in South Africa Summary: If corruption is understood as the abuse of public power for private gain, then it's not surprising that the acute power imbalance between a refugee and the layers of officialdom who determine, literally, his or her place in the world is manifest in rampant corruption. From the minute the refugee or asylum seeker approaches the border he or she confronts officials, and frequently private citizens, who man one or another proverbial gate through which the person must pass. These gatekeepers vary from the security guard who extracts R100 for allowing the refugee to literally enter the gate of the documentation centre, to the Department of Home Affairs official who is custodian of that vital final stamp and whose fee is often measured in thousands of rands. Our general approach to combating corruption is to encourage the public to report their experiences of corruption to us. While we act on these reports in a variety of ways, the result is most effective when we meet officials and a government department genuinely committed to working with us to resolve the individual reported cases and the systemic factors that underpin them. This project simply directs this request to the refugee communities and to the government agencies with which they are obliged to engage. Even though we guarantee the anonymity of those who report to us, refugees and asylum seekers are understandably hesitant. However, with the assistance of our partners, many of whom have established relationships of trust with affected communities, the volume of reports we have received from refugees has spiked. Our simple request to the Department of Home Affairs is that they work with us to establish a complaints handling mechanism to facilitate the reporting of corruption by refugees and asylum seekers. And then to agree to an internal process for receiving these reports from us. This doesn't require extra resources from the department. Mutual empathy with the plight of the most vulnerable members of our society is all that is needed. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Corruption Watch, 2016. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2019 at: https://www.corruptionwatch.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Project-Lokisa-revised-Pg16-22Nov20161.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa Keywords: Asylum Seeker Shelf Number: 156818 |
Author: Corruption Watch Title: Corruption in Uniform: When Cops Become Criminals Summary: We live in a time where we have to keep our guard up every living moment and it seems farfetched to think of a time in history where the momentary lapse in concentration was forgivable. These days, if you relax your vigilance in South Africa, you may well become a crime statistic. For those who can afford it, their troubled minds find comfort in the knowledge that their loved ones, belongings and premises are protected by a well-paid security corporation. The privileged among us know that every mobile phone in their possession is configured with a panic button, outside walls bear a buzzer and camera for guests or pests to announce themselves, entrances and exits are remotely accessed, fences are wired with live copper, and neighbourhood streets are patrolled by armed guards in vehicles. Meanwhile, the less fortunate, the downtrodden, the poorest, are resigned to believing that the ever-thinning veil of the South African Police Service (Saps), with 1,146 stations manned by almost 193,300 men and women, will protect everyone, regardless of class, race, gender or sexual orientation, against crime and corruption. This is despite the fact that the very same institution's conscience may still be battling past demons, when it operated as a paramilitary force to subjugate the majority of citizens. Its present-day reputation also leaves much to be desired as it is rocked year in and year out by scandals of impropriety, shady dealings with the criminal world, and patronage steeped in political factionalism. For this reason, our first edition of the sectoral report focuses on policing. We, as Corruption Watch, wish to share with you a snapshot of the corruption reports we have received since inception in early 2012 up to the end of 2018, wherein ordinary people have spoken out against the questionable actions of Saps. It is a tragic story to tell, but it is one that needs to be heard because, as much as it is our mandate as a civil society organisation to collect these accounts, so too must we ensure that these accounts find expression in our multifaceted advocacy approaches. We firmly believe that when these issues are taken seriously and all people's complaints are treated fairly, justly and equally, it will lead to the restoration of the police system in South Africa. Hence, as we work towards our goal, we should not only ensure that all complaints receive a uniformly attentive approach, but also take a uniform stance against corruption, working with the same objectives in mind. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Corruption Watch, 2019. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 25, 2019 at: https://www.corruptionwatch.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Police-sectoral-report-June2019.pdf Year: 2019 Country: South Africa Keywords: Citizen Complaint Shelf Number: 157061 |