Reducing violence in South Africa

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues that South Africa's reliance on reactive criminal justice spending is ineffective at reducing violent crime and advocates for a radical shift toward investment in preventive social programmes.

• There is a significant imbalance between spending on the reactive criminal justice system and spending on violence prevention. In 2016/17, the combined expenditure on the criminal justice system was R126.71 billion, while the state spent only R9 billion on programmes designed to prevent violence.
• Increasing the budget and personnel of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has not improved policing outcomes or reduced serious violent crime. Between 2002/03 and 2011/12, over 68,000 additional posts were created, but research indicates this did not result in 'better policing' or increased public confidence, and murder rates have increased annually from 2012/13 to 2015/16.
• The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has seen a decrease in the number of cases finalised, dropping from 407,530 in 2003/4 to 319,149 in 2015/16. This trend is attributed to a tendency to favour informal mediation over prosecution to maintain a high conviction rate.
• Violence imposes massive economic costs on South Africa through the loss of human capital. In 2015, the loss in human capital due to childhood violence was estimated at R238 billion (approximately 6% of GDP), while gender-based violence costs for 2012/13 were estimated between R28.4 billion and R48.2 billion.
• The state's response to violence against women and children is hindered by poor problem definition, lack of political will, and inadequate coordination. A diagnostic review found that violence is often misdefined as a 'women's issue' or 'crime issue', leading to under-investment in prevention and over-investment in criminal justice.
• To effectively reduce violence, the state must address social, economic, and psychological risk factors. Recommended strategies include implementing laws against the violent punishment of children, changing gender norms, targeting violent 'hotspots', and providing caregiver support and life skills education.

APA

Gould, C., Mufamadi, D., Hsiao, C., & Amisi, M. (2017). Reducing violence in South Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief106.pdf

Chicago

Gould, Chandré, Diketso Mufamadi, Celia Hsiao, and Matodzi Amisi. Reducing violence in South Africa. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief106.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gould |first1=Chandré |last2=Mufamadi |first2=Diketso |last3=Hsiao |first3=Celia |last4=Amisi |first4=Matodzi |title=Reducing violence in South Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief106.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gould2017reducing, author = {Gould, Chandré and Mufamadi, Diketso and Hsiao, Celia and Amisi, Matodzi}, title = {{Reducing violence in South Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief106.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }