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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 12:42 am
Time: 12:42 am
Results for violence (south africa)
4 results foundAuthor: 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 URL: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/study/6.TAV_final_report_13_03_10.pdf Shelf Number: 120280 Keywords: Armed RobberyHomicideViolence (South Africa)Violent Crime |
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 URL: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-3838.phtml Shelf Number: 120379 Keywords: Violence (South Africa)Violent CrimeViolent Offenders |
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 URL: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/vigilantism/guardianorgangster.pdf Shelf Number: 121022 Keywords: GangsVigilantismViolence (South Africa)Violent Crime |
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 URL: http://www.csvr.org.za/docs/combatants261107.pdf Shelf Number: 124562 Keywords: Armed Conflict (South Africa)Crime Prevention (South Africa)Violence (South Africa) |