Preventing violence

This policy brief examines the role of inter-sectoral collaboration and coordination in preventing violence in South Africa, using the Western Cape's After School Game Changer (ASGC) as a primary case study. It argues that violence prevention requires a holistic approach involving government, NGOs, and academic institutions to provide safe environments and life skills for youth, particularly in impoverished areas.

• Violence in South Africa is increasing, with a murder rate of 36.4 per 100,000 people in 2018/19, which is nearly six times the international average. During this period, the murder of children rose by 2.9% and attempted murders of children increased by 11.8%.
• The After School Game Changer (ASGC) in the Western Cape has successfully provided a safe environment for over 84,000 learners, representing about a third of the province's learners. Of these, 40% have attended the programmes regularly and consistently.
• Effective inter-sectoral collaboration to prevent violence requires a skilled coordinating team with the authority to influence decisions, the flexibility to respond to changes, and stable funding. Such a team must be able to identify 'unusual partners' and connect policy priorities across education, health, community safety, sport, and the environment.
• The identification of local champions and the use of customized, context-specific interventions are critical for success. This is evidenced by the SAPS Eden Cluster, where the cluster commander's leadership facilitated collaboration among police, teachers, and NGOs in Dysselsdorp, Knysna, Conville, and Thembalethu.
• The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is identified as the best-positioned entity to lead violence prevention actions. Recommendations include the provincial DBE engaging teacher unions, parents, and school governing bodies to provide after-school programmes at all public schools, especially low- and no-fee schools.

APA

Parenzee, P. (2019). Preventing violence. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb131.pdf

Chicago

Parenzee, Penny. Preventing violence. Institute for Security Studies, 2019. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb131.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parenzee |first1=Penny |title=Preventing violence |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2019 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb131.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parenzee2019preventing, author = {Parenzee, Penny}, title = {{Preventing violence}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb131.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }