Stop violence this way

The persistent rise of violence in SA demonstrates that strengthening the rule of law is crucial, but not sufficient for improving public safety.

SA urgently needs to support violenceprevention programmes, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said in response to the latest crime statistics released by the SA Police Service (SAPS) on September 12 in parliament.

Police reform and a stronger prosecuting authority are needed in the shorter term. But while effective criminal justice is necessary, it is not sufficient to improve public safety. Increased government spending on policing and harsher sentences for offenders has not reduced violence as police cannot keep children safe after school when they are vulnerable, or men from beating wives and partners at weekends. Most murders are at weekends. The most frequent cause is arguments between people who know each other. Domestic violence ties with gangsterism for the second-leading cause of murder.

Recent violence, mostly against foreigners, is another warning sign government cannot afford to ignore. Levels of public violence are rising. To address drivers of violence in SA requires an increased investment in programmes proven to work, including positive parenting programmes, afterschool care programmes and antibullying programmes at schools.

“Most violent behaviour is learnt in the home and in communities,” said Gareth Newham, head of the justice and violence prevention programme at the ISS. “Violence prevention programmes are key to reducing crimes that cannot be policed.”

The ISS once again calls for more regular crime statistics to be made available to the public and civil society. SAPS statistics released last week are almost six months out of date and do not reflect the spate of high-profile violent crimes. Figures cover crimes committed in the financial year period from April 30 2018 to March 31 2019.

Institute for Security Studies Via e-mail