Drugs, Violence and Governability in the Future South Africa

With the increasing availability of illicit drugs, a corresponding increase in consumption is probable. Equally important, increase in trafficking and

South Africa has been warmly welcomed into the international community and is, in turn, open to the world. The benefits of this recently achieved status include increased investor interest, more tourism, and flourishing opportunities for South Africans overseas. There is, unfortunately, a down-side to this new openness: illicit drugs. The growing presence of illicit drugs in South Africa is indirectly a result of the dramatic increase in the number of international flights to the country, relaxed visa requirements for South Africans to travel overseas, movement of large numbers of legal and illegal people across the borders, poorly monitored borders, and ill-equipped customs. South Africa is now gaining a reputation as a `paradise` emerging market and transit point for illicit drugs.

One serious result of the presence of illicit drugs in a country is the violence that usually accompanies it. The relationship between illicit drugs and violence has been documented in countries throughout the world. The level of violence ranges from fighting between rival drug dealing gangs to traffickers intimidating the highest levels of national governments. With the level of violent crime (in most categories) in South Africa just beginning to level off, it is disturbing that South Africans may potentially be subjected to another escalation in violence as a result of illicit drugs. Illicit drug-related violence, coupled with the incidence of other violent crime can have a detrimental effect on the overall well being of society by undermining the basic tenets of citizens` expectations of a safe and secure life.

Essentially there are two broad domains of the illicit drug phenomenon: supply and demand. Supply refers to the manufacture, cultivation, production, processing, smuggling, distribution and sales of illicit drugs. Demand refers to an individual`s desire to consume an illicit drug, or drug use. Violence is associated with both domains. With the increasing availability of illicit drugs in South Africa, a corresponding increase in consumption is probable. Equally important, is the corresponding increase in trafficking and dealing. Thus, it can be inferred that a likely increase in violence related to illicit drugs will follow.  

Author

Tim Ryan, Contract Researcher, Crime and Policing Policy Project, Institute for Security Studies