South Africans’ perceptions of the police and the courts

This research paper analyzes the results of the 2007 National Victimisation Survey (NVS) to examine South African public perceptions of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the court system, comparing these findings with data from 1998 and 2003.

• Public perception of local police performance showed a decrease in negative assessments between 2003 and 2007, though the proportion of those viewing performance as 'good' remained stable at 51 per cent. The primary reason cited for a poor image of local police was that they "don’t respond on time".
• Direct official interaction with the police generally improves public opinion of the service. Approximately 60 per cent of respondents who had official contact and felt it affected their opinion reported that their assessment of the police improved.
• Contrary to popular belief that poverty increases vulnerability to crime, the survey indicates that the likelihood of being a victim of crime rises with income. This correlation helps explain why African respondents, who have lower victimisation rates, accord local police relatively high approval ratings.
• Approval ratings for local police performance do not vary significantly by race. In 2007, both white and African respondents had similar disapproval ratings, with 36 per cent of each group stating the local police were doing a poor job.
• Public perception of the court system is generally positive, with 48 per cent of all respondents viewing their duties as adequate. This approval is higher among those who have actually been to court, suggesting that exposure to the system improves perceptions.
• The author argues that high public satisfaction with the courts is misleading because the system is described by officials as "fragmented and dysfunctional". High conviction rates (over 85 per cent) are achieved by prosecutors withdrawing questionable cases before a plea is entered, meaning victims who reach court are likely to see a conviction.

APA

O’Donovan, M. (2008). South Africans’ perceptions of the police and the courts. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper176.pdf

Chicago

O’Donovan, Michael. South Africans’ perceptions of the police and the courts. Institute for Security Studies, 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper176.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=O’Donovan |first1=Michael |title=South Africans’ perceptions of the police and the courts |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper176.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{odonovan2008south, author = {O’Donovan, Michael}, title = {{South Africans’ perceptions of the police and the courts}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper176.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }