Action for a safe South Africa: breaking the cycle of crime and violence Social Justice Coalition 28th…

Action for a safe South Action for a safe South Africa: Africa: breaking the cycle of crime and violencebreaking the cycle of crime and violence; a safe society for all

Social Justice CoalitionSocial Justice Coalition28th October 200828th October 2008

© CSIR 2006 www.csir.co.za

How unsafe are we?• Non-Natural Death

- Children 6x more likely - Women are 5x more likely- Men are 8x more likely

• Alcohol Abuse- R41 billion on alcohol in 2006 - R16 out of every R100 spent- 47% homicide victims test positive for alcohol at time of death - 66% of people presenting in trauma units @ hospitals - >50% rape victims are “high or drunk” @ the time of the incident

• Arms/Guns- 62% homicides committed with guns- 66 guns a day lost or stolen from legal to illegal pool- 192 000 new violent crimes in the course of last year- 528 per day (SAPS Annual Report)


What is a Safe South Africa?• Visioning Exercise For a Safe South Africa

- Children play safely in the streets- Women travel safely to and from work - Women walk alone in the dark- Parents sit by open doors making supper to eat in the garden- The sound of laughter and street cricket, football- Bicycles lean against the pavement- Family picnics in the park- Schools the centre of community- Vegetable gardens- Effective transport systems- Everyone is busy- Old people sit peacefully in the sunshine


What does it look like right now?• Private Security - R46 billion

- Building fortresses- Armed response- Electric fences- Surveillance cameras- Guns- Boom gates- Exclusion- Burglar bars- Security gates- Alarm systems

• National Response- 60000 extra police by 2010

• Total - 193 000- Review of Criminal Justice System

• Integration of departments• Performance standards

- 4 000 more social workers by 2010• Total - 15 000 social workers

- Uncertain future for best unit- Acting Head of SAPS- Acting Head of NPA

Undercurrent of fear and distrustGrowing demand for more and more punitive justice













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Action for a safe South Africa: breaking the cycle of crime and violence Social Justice Coalition 28th…