South African Crime Quarterly 48

This editorial introduction to South African Crime Quarterly 48, written by editor Chandré Gould, critiques the narratives used in the Presidency’s 20-year review of safety and security (1994–2014). Gould argues that the state relies on simplified 'meta-narratives' of victims and perpetrators and a 'language of war' that obscures the root causes of violence and justifies state violence. The text introduces several articles in the edition that challenge these narratives, covering topics such as the pitfalls of community policing, the inefficiency of corruption responses, and the impact of punitive bail practices on prison overcrowding.

• The author argues that South African society has relied on comfortable 'meta-narratives' and a formal process via the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to move past the trauma of apartheid, which has led to a social tendency to forget the complexities of the past. These narratives create rigid categories of 'perpetrator' and 'victim' or 'hero' and 'villain', which the author suggests provides a basis for justifying state violence.
• The author critiques the Presidency’s 20-year review of safety and security (1994–2014), stating it uses selective narratives and a 'language of war' that hinders the ability to address high violence levels and the poor relationship between police and citizens. Specifically, the author disputes the review's claim that 'moral decay' is the root cause of violence, arguing that such a view is 'absurd' in the context of structural violence.
• The text identifies specific historical omissions in the official narrative of policing, noting that the state has ignored the violence of self-defence units (SDUs) in Gauteng and the Western and Eastern Cape, as well as the existence of integrity-driven police officers during apartheid, such as Wilson Magadla.
• The edition features several critical analyses of the criminal justice system: Gail Super questions the use of 'community' as a tool for crime prevention; Jean Redpath links punitive bail and sentencing to prison overcrowding, noting that remand detention durations have increased while convictions decreased; and David Bruce describes a robust but failing institutional infrastructure for addressing corruption due to practices favoring those in power.

APA

Gould, C. (n.d.). South African Crime Quarterly 48. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/south-african-crime-quarterly/south-african-crime-quarterly-48

Chicago

Gould, Chandré. South African Crime Quarterly 48. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/south-african-crime-quarterly/south-african-crime-quarterly-48.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gould |first1=Chandré |title=South African Crime Quarterly 48 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/south-african-crime-quarterly/south-african-crime-quarterly-48 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gouldndsouth, author = {Gould, Chandré}, title = {{South African Crime Quarterly 48}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/south-african-crime-quarterly/south-african-crime-quarterly-48}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }