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This report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Western Cape Government examines the impact of South Africa's 2020 COVID-19 lockdown on violence and policing, specifically focusing on 11 police areas in Cape Town. Using murder data, interviews, and a survey of over 5,000 residents, the study identifies a strong correlation between alcohol bans and the reduction of sharp-object murders and fatal violence against women, while finding that firearm-related murders remained largely unaffected by lockdown restrictions.

This case study by GreenCape examines the implementation of an alternative service delivery model in the Witsand informal settlement in Cape Town, South Africa. Through a partnership between GreenCape, ThinkWifi, and community leaders, the project utilized an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach to co-design and deploy wifi-enabled solar street lights to address critical needs for connectivity and safety.

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.

This research paper examines the intersection of the drug trade and 'criminal governance' in Cape Town, South Africa. It analyzes how historical apartheid policies, state institutional failure, and the development of organized crime networks have created parallel sources of authority, particularly in the Cape Flats, where criminal networks provide services and social control in the absence of effective state governance.

This policy brief examines the relationship between urban design and organised crime in Cape Town, arguing that apartheid-era spatial planning created dysfunctional environments that facilitate criminal networks. It discusses how inadequate housing, poor infrastructure, and economic marginalisation allow gangs to act as parallel authorities, and recommends integrating crime prevention strategies into urban planning to reduce the influence of organised crime.