South African Crime Quarterly 1
Individual articles are hosted on the Academy of Science of South Africa's Open Access Journals system. To access individual articles for this edition, click here
Between 1997 and 2000 there was a steady increase in the annual number of recorded crimes. The first nine months of 2001 saw an end to this trend. During 2001 the rate of increase in recorded crime diminished markedly. Martin Schonteich asks, is this a turning point?
Ted Leggett puts the debate forward: Is crime in South Africa really on the increase, or is the spiralling crime rate a product of improved reporting? It was not unexpected that the arrival, in 1994, of a democratic government should lead to a dramatic increase in crime reporting. Police statistics show that commonly underreported crimes have been going up, while those most likely to be reported (murder, car theft, and business burglary) are in decline.
In 1998 the South African parliament voted on the issue of the use of force when effecting an arrest, in order to bring standards of practice in line with the rest of the democratic world. Four years later the law still has not been signed by the state president, largely due to protests by the ministers of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Safety and Security. Traggy Maepa discusses the application of Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
Makubetse Sekhonyane proposes a case for early releases to alleviate prison overcrowding. The current overcrowding in South African prisons has necessitated the move away from a strictly retributive approach to offending behaviour, to that of rehabilitation and restoration. Another solution to the overcrowding problem has been the early release of certain categories of offenders. This has not been met with much support. It is however becoming increasingly clear that locking people up does not solve the problem of crime but could even exacerbate it.
The use of guns in crime remains high in South Africa. The annual report of the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS) for 2000 found that death caused by firearms is higher in South Africa than death occurring through road traffic accidents or any other external cause of non-natural death. The government maintains that controlling firearms remains a priority and is focusing on the implementation of the Firearms Control Act. Sarah Meek asks, is regulating the civilian ownership of guns the right way to make South Africa less vulnerable to guns and gun crime?
Ted Leggett make another contribution to this edition by highlighting the crisis of rank inflation and the decline of visible policing. South Africa currently has five and a half times more police inspectors than constables. This has resulted in a classic demonstration of the adage ‘too many chiefs and not enough Indians’ and has contributed to the collapse of field supervision in the South African Police Service.
