A STUDY IN THREE CITIES

This report details a study of nearly 3,000 arrestees in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban to examine the relationship between drug use and crime in South Africa. Using interviews and urinalysis, the research identifies strong ethnic and regional segmentation in drug markets, noting high prevalence of cannabis and Mandrax among certain groups and a growing crack cocaine market linked to sex work and Nigerian syndicates. The authors argue for nuanced, locally-based interventions rather than broad national strategies.

• Drug use among arrestees is highly segmented by ethnicity, gender, and geography. Coloured and Indian arrestees are significantly more likely to test positive for Mandrax, while white arrestees, particularly white women, show the highest rates of cocaine use.
• Cannabis is the most prevalent drug among the studied population, with nearly 40% of those consenting to tests testing positive. It is widely produced domestically, particularly in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and is also exported in large quantities to the United Kingdom.
• The crack cocaine market in South Africa is closely linked to Nigerian nationals and the sex work industry. Nigerian dealers often operate out of residential hotels in central Johannesburg, using sex workers as both a primary consumer base and a distribution network.
• There is a strong correlation between drug use and recidivism. Half of the arrestees who tested positive for drugs had a prior arrest history, compared to 29% of those who tested negative.
• Youth are particularly vulnerable to substance abuse; 66% of arrestees under the age of 20 tested positive for at least one controlled substance.
• Certain acquisitive crimes show a higher association with specific drugs. For example, 35% of those accused of housebreaking tested positive for Mandrax, and high levels of drug use generally were found among those accused of housebreaking (66%) and vehicular theft (59%).
• The National Drug Master Plan (NDMP), approved in 1999, aims for a 'drug free society' but is criticized by the authors for being unrealistic, lacking a budget, and functioning primarily as a 'plan to make plans'.
• The study found that self-reporting of drug use is highly unreliable, as half of the respondents who denied ever using drugs tested positive for recent use.

APA

Leggett, T., Plüddemann, A., Parry, C., Louw, A., & Burton, P. (n.d.). A STUDY IN THREE CITIES. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono69.pdf

Chicago

Leggett, Ted, Andreas Plüddemann, Charles Parry, Antoinette Louw, and Patrick Burton. A STUDY IN THREE CITIES. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono69.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Leggett |first1=Ted |last2=Plüddemann |first2=Andreas |last3=Parry |first3=Charles |last4=Louw |first4=Antoinette |last5=Burton |first5=Patrick |title=A STUDY IN THREE CITIES |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono69.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leggettndstudy, author = {Leggett, Ted and Plüddemann, Andreas and Parry, Charles and Louw, Antoinette and Burton, Patrick}, title = {{A STUDY IN THREE CITIES}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono69.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }