SA Crime Quarterly

The December 2009 edition of SA Crime Quarterly examines the state of crime and justice in South Africa, highlighting a reversal in the downward trend of overall crime rates and the rise of 'trio crimes'. The report analyzes the effectiveness of social crime prevention versus law enforcement, the implementation of right-to-information laws, and the systemic challenges within the correctional and policing systems.

• After five consecutive years of decline, the overall crime rate in South Africa increased during the 2008/09 reporting period. This trend is particularly evident in 'trio crimes'—house robberies, business robberies, and car hijackings—as well as truck hijackings.
• While the murder rate has decreased by 44% since its 1995/96 peak, it remains high at 37.3 per 100,000 people, significantly exceeding the estimated global homicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000.
• Crimes targeting the business sector have seen significant increases, with commercial crime rising by 18.7% in the last financial year and truck hijackings increasing by 319% since 2004/05.
• The state's response to crime is characterized by a strong emphasis on law enforcement and robust policing, often neglecting social crime prevention. The report argues that the primary obstacle to social crime prevention is the weakness of the state and dysfunctional public service rather than a purely law-enforcement mindset.
• Implementation of right-to-information (RTI) laws is inconsistent across departments. While the South African Police Service (SAPS) is a top performer with only a 1% refusal rate for requests, the Department of Correctional Services has been criticized by courts for a 'complete disregard' of the Constitution and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
• Evidence suggests that black and poor South Africans are disproportionately the victims of violent crime. In Cape Town, five police districts account for over 44% of murders and 34% of reported rapes, with the highest rates found in poor, predominantly black areas like Khayelitsha.
• The South African prison system faces severe overcrowding, largely driven by Awaiting Trial Detainees (ATDs). This is attributed to police arresting individuals without proper justification and a failure by prosecutors and magistrates to ensure investigation progress during postponements.
• Minimum sentencing legislation has led to a significant increase in long-term inmates, with those serving sentences over five years rising from 49% in 1998 to 67% in 2009, and a 1,023% growth in life sentences.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). SA Crime Quarterly. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ30FULL.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. SA Crime Quarterly. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ30FULL.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=SA Crime Quarterly |date=2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ30FULL.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009crime, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{SA Crime Quarterly}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/CQ30FULL.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }