CRIME QUARTERLY

This December 2003 issue of Crime Quarterly, published by the Institute for Security Studies, provides a multi-faceted analysis of crime trends and policing strategies in South Africa. It examines 2002/3 crime statistics, the investigation of farm attacks, the implementation of sector policing, the rise of gated communities via private security, social crime prevention, judicial processes for firearm unfitness, and the emergence of methamphetamine on the Cape Flats.

• National crime statistics for 2002/3 show a downward trend in murder rates since 1994, with a rate of 47 murders per 100,000 citizens. However, the Western Cape has seen murder numbers reach an all-time high, with the East Metropole experiencing an increase of nearly 20% in the last year and over 60% since 1994/5.
• Aggravated robberies have increased nationally by approximately 50% since 1994, with some areas, including the Western Cape, seeing incidents more than double. While the SAPS suggests insurance fraud related to cell phones may drive these figures, fraud cases have actually declined sharply since 1999/2000.
• Vehicular crime trends show a national reduction in hijackings (down 20%) and a precipitous drop in truck hijackings, which fell from over 6,000 in 1998/9 to less than 1,000 in 2002/3. Conversely, carjackings in the Western Cape have more than tripled since 1996/7 and increased by over 20% in the last year.
• Farm attacks are treated as a 'priority crime' in South Africa, resulting in high conviction rates—estimated between 50% and 90%—attributed to political will, specialized resources like the Tracking Unit, and specific investigation techniques. However, these measures have not reduced the overall incidence of attacks, which continued to increase between 1997 and 2002.
• The SAPS is implementing 'sector policing,' a decentralized UK-based model intended to address local crime root causes through sector policing forums (SPFs). The goal is to establish this at 145 priority stations by 2005, with Johannesburg already divided into 111 sectors.
• The proliferation of 'gated communities' through illegal road closures is viewed by some as a 'new form of apartheid' due to the exclusion of people based on financial means and perceived racial bias by guards. While Gauteng has introduced the Rationalisation of Local Government Affairs Act 10 of 1998 to provide a legal framework, many closures remain unlawful.
• Social crime prevention in South Africa is described as lacking scientific rigour and a strong engagement with programme theory. While civil society organisations are the most active proponents, there is a noted weakness in the generation and utilization of information and a lack of commitment to rigorous evaluation.
• There is a systematic failure in the courts to accurately record declarations of unfitness to possess firearms on SAP 69 forms. In a sample of 158 forms, 88% were left blank regarding unfitness, and the use of the phrase 'no order is made' causes widespread confusion among police and the Central Firearms Register.
• Crystal methamphetamine (locally called 'tuk-tuk', 'globes', or 'straws') is emerging in the coloured communities of the Cape Flats, particularly in Manenberg and Elsie’s River. Treatment demand for methamphetamine in Cape Town increased from 3 patients in the first half of 2002 to 35 in the first half of 2003.

APA

Leggett, T., Mistry, D., Maroga, M., Tshehla, B., Frank, C., & Minnaar, A. (2003). CRIME QUARTERLY. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO62003.PDF

Chicago

Leggett, Ted, Duxita Mistry, Millicent Maroga, Boyane Tshehla, Cheryl Frank, and Anthony Minnaar. CRIME QUARTERLY. Institute for Security Studies, 2003. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO62003.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Leggett |first1=Ted |last2=Mistry |first2=Duxita |last3=Maroga |first3=Millicent |last4=Tshehla |first4=Boyane |last5=Frank |first5=Cheryl |last6=Minnaar |first6=Anthony |title=CRIME QUARTERLY |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2003 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO62003.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leggett2003crime, author = {Leggett, Ted and Mistry, Duxita and Maroga, Millicent and Tshehla, Boyane and Frank, Cheryl and Minnaar, Anthony}, title = {{CRIME QUARTERLY}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2003}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NO62003.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }