SA Crime Quarterly

This issue of SA Crime Quarterly examines public perceptions of crime in South Africa, the role of the private security industry, the impact of sentencing policies on prison populations, and the legal implications of compulsory HIV testing for alleged sexual offenders.

• A May 2007 Markinor opinion poll found that only 33% of adult South Africans believe the government is handling the fight against crime well, marking the lowest level of public confidence since November 2003.
• Public perception of crime trends varies by demographic: 59% of adults believe crime is increasing, with higher rates of this belief among older individuals and minority groups, specifically 79% of Indian and 77% of white South Africans.
• Despite complaints about government effectiveness, 63% of South Africans reported doing nothing to address crime in their communities, while only 4% took active roles such as becoming police reservists or joining community policing forums.
• The private security industry in South Africa is significantly larger than the public police force, with approximately 300,000 security officers and three times as many armed response vehicles as police patrol vehicles.
• Comparative international data suggests that incarceration rates are a matter of policy rather than a result of crime levels, as similar crime trends were observed in Nordic countries despite differing imprisonment rates.
• South Africa's prison population grew from 116,846 in 1995 to 187,036 in 2004, driven largely by an increase in long-term sentences; those serving more than seven years rose from 26% of the sentenced population in 1995 to 52% by 2005.
• The Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1997 and the Magistrates’ Court Amendment Act of 1998 contributed to prison overcrowding by introducing mandatory minimum sentences and extending the sentencing jurisdiction of regional courts to 15 years.
• The profile of the sentenced prison population shifted from 1995 to 2005, with economic offences dropping from 42% to 20%, while sexual and aggressive offences increased from 46% to 75%.
• Proposed legislation for the compulsory HIV testing of alleged sexual offenders is criticized as lacking practical utility due to the 'window period' (three to six weeks), during which an infected person may test negative despite being highly infectious.
• Critics argue that compulsory HIV testing provisions in the Sexual Offences Bill are redundant because Section 37 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1977 already allows police to order blood tests necessary for evidence.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2007). SA Crime Quarterly. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ20FULLPDF.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. SA Crime Quarterly. 2007. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ20FULLPDF.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=SA Crime Quarterly |date=June 2007 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ20FULLPDF.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2007crime, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{SA Crime Quarterly}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2007}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ20FULLPDF.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }