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APRM’s Economic Governance and Management Standards: What civil society should look for
This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) provides a framework for civil society organisations (CSOs) to use the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to monitor government management of public resources. The authors argue that the APRM's Economic Governance and Management section is often too technocratic for CSOs, and they propose five evidence-based indicators—strategic planning, expenditure management, internal controls, handling of resource abuse, and accountability to oversight institutions—to help citizens ensure the progressive realisation of socio-economic rights.
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Document type: Research paper
Assessing South Africa’s APRM: An NGO Perspective
This research paper details the efforts of the Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) to ensure that access to information and whistleblower protection were included in South Africa's African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. It highlights systemic obstacles, including the government's control over the National Governing Council (NGC) and the exclusion of specialist NGOs. Despite these challenges and the removal of key recommendations from the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR), ODAC's persistence led to the inclusion of a 'Know Your Rights' campaign and a commitment to review the Protected Disclosures Act in the final, binding Programme of Action (POA).
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Document type: Research paper
FINDING THE MEANINGS OF AIDS ARV treatment in an Eastern Cape village
This research paper examines how the introduction of a successful antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, influenced the public perception and meaning of AIDS. The author focuses on a qualitative study in the outlying village of Ithanga between October 2005 and January 2007, observing how universal access to treatment reduced public denial and broadened the clinical definition of the disease, while failing to eliminate the deep social stigma associated with HIV status.
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Document type: Research paper
Crime Statistics Per Province
The document is a list of provinces and associated districts or cities in South Africa, intended to categorize crime statistics, though it contains no actual numerical data or findings.
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Document type: Fact sheet
SA Crime Quarterly
This issue of SA Crime Quarterly examines public perceptions of crime in South Africa, the role of the private security industry, the impact of sentencing policies on prison populations, and the legal implications of compulsory HIV testing for alleged sexual offenders.
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Document type: Report
GOOD NEWS AND BAD
This report analyzes public opinion surveys from Idasa and Afrobarometer conducted in South Africa since 1994 to compare citizen experiences of crime and policing against official statistics. While public perceptions of overall safety and government performance in fighting crime have improved since 2000, trust in the South African Police Service (SAPS) is undermined by high perceived and actual levels of corruption and poor user-friendliness.
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Document type: Report
Crime Statistics Per Province
The document lists South African provinces and their respective districts or cities under the heading of crime statistics, but it provides no actual data or findings.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Double Trouble. Youth from Violent Families: Easy Victims of Crime?
This research paper, based on the 2005 National Youth Victimisation Study, examines the relationship between exposure to family violence and criminal victimisation among South African youth aged 12 to 22. The study finds that young people who witness or experience violence at home are significantly more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime, including violent crimes and repeat victimisations.
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Document type: Research paper
The Khampepe Commission
This research paper by Prince Mashele of the Institute for Security Studies provides an overview of the proceedings of the Khampepe Commission, established in 2005 to review the mandate and location of the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), known as the 'Scorpions'. The document details the tensions between the Scorpions and the South African Police Service (SAPS), the debate over the DSO's broad statutory mandate, and the political and technical arguments regarding whether the unit should remain within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) or be incorporated into the SAPS.
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Document type: Research paper
CHARTING PROGRESS, MAPPING THE FUTURE
This 2006 report by the Institute for Security Studies and the Restorative Justice Centre documents the state of restorative justice (RJ) practice in South Africa. It maps over sixty projects across various sectors—including probation services, correctional services, civil society, and traditional leadership—to evaluate the scope and quality of services provided to victims and offenders. The authors argue that RJ should be viewed as a philosophy and approach rather than a specific programme, and they advocate for its 'mainstreaming' within the criminal justice system through a partnership where civil society leads direct service delivery while the state acts as an enabler, resourcer, and guarantor of quality.
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Document type: Report
Positive Trends. The 2004/05 Crime Statistics
The research paper analyzes South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the period April 2004 to March 2005. The author argues that while police statistics are subject to under-reporting and under-recording, the overall trend shows a broad decline in serious crime, particularly in well-recorded categories like murder and car theft, alongside an exponential increase in arrests.
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Document type: Research paper
THE FUTURE OF RURAL POLICING IN SOUTH AFRICA AFTER THE COMMANDOS
This report assesses the rural safety capacity lost by the phasing out of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) Territorial Reserve, known as the Commandos, and evaluates the South African Police Service's (SAPS) ability to replace these functions. Through fieldwork in the Free State, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng, the author argues that while Commandos primarily protected the interests of the rural middle class and could be socially destructive if deployed inappropriately, they provided a critical force-multiplication capacity for policing agricultural crimes. The report concludes that the transition to SAPS is likely to result in a deterioration of rural policing because SAPS organizational incentives and national performance targets prioritize urban 'contact crimes' over rural property crimes.
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Document type: Report
21 Sep 2005: Crime Statistics by Province
The document is a list of provinces and regional administrative areas within South Africa, intended to categorize crime statistics.
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Document type: Fact sheet
THE TIDE IS TURNING
This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the 2003/04 financial year. It reports a general decrease in most serious crimes, including murder and residential burglary, while highlighting a concerning increase in aggravated robbery. The authors note a disconnect between improving statistical trends and the high levels of fear felt by the South African public.
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Document type: Research paper
THE TIDE IS TURNING
This report from the Institute for Security Studies provides a comprehensive analysis of South African crime statistics for the 2003/04 financial year, alongside thematic studies on the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, the 2005 firearms amnesty, and the nature of gang rape in inner-city Johannesburg.
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Document type: Report
OPERATION SETHUNYA
The report evaluates Operation Sethunya, a large-scale South African Police Service (SAPS) initiative conducted from April to September 2003 to combat the proliferation of illegal firearms. The operation focused on confiscating illegal weapons, ensuring legal owner compliance with the Firearms Control Act (2000), and auditing state and security firm weapon stocks. The document highlights a trend of increasing illegal firearm detections and an improving recovery rate for stolen weapons, while noting that South Africa maintains one of the highest gun theft ratios globally.
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Document type: Report
A VIOLENT LEGACY
This research paper examines the history of violence and instability within South Africa's minibus taxi industry, tracing its origins from apartheid-era deregulation to post-1994 conflicts. It analyzes the failures of government attempts to re-regulate and recapitalize the industry, highlighting disputes over funding, vehicle specifications, and industry representation.
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Document type: Research paper
SA CRIME QUARTERLY
This issue of the SA Crime Quarterly (December 2004) examines critical failures and challenges within the South African criminal justice and security sectors. It details severe prison overcrowding driven by minimum sentencing laws, the mixed success of civilian oversight mechanisms for the South African Police Service (SAPS), the violent history and stalled recapitalisation of the minibus taxi industry, the under-utilization of weapon seizure powers in domestic violence cases, and the results of Operation Sethunya in combating illegal firearms.
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Document type: Report
20 Sep 2004: Crime Statistics Per Province
The document is a list of provinces and districts within South Africa, intended to categorize crime statistics per province as of September 20, 2004.
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Document type: Fact sheet
NATIONAL VICTIMS OF CRIME SURVEY SOUTH AFRICA 2003
The 2003 National Victims of Crime Survey in South Africa, conducted by the Institute for Security Studies, provides a comprehensive analysis of crime levels, public perceptions of safety, and the performance of the criminal justice system. The survey indicates a slight decline in overall victimisation rates compared to 1998, though housebreaking increased. It highlights a significant gap between public perceptions—which often overestimate the prevalence of violent crime—and the reality of non-violent property crime. The report also documents widespread petty corruption, declining feelings of safety, and a reliance on state protection despite mixed views on police and court performance.
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Document type: Report