Anti-Crime In South Africa Essay, Research Paper
ANTI – CRIME CAMPAIGNINTRODUCTION
The current rate of crime in our society has reached alarming proportions. ne senseless
killings of innocent lives, the harassment of law abiding citizens, and loss of property istotally not accepted at all levels and walks of our society.
The impact of reported and unreported incidents of crime continue to negate our newly founddemocracy with disastrous effects to our economy. Taking intq account the nearly 2 millionserious crimes reported last year including 18.938 murders and 66838 robberies. The highlevel of unemployment can no longer be associated or put as an excuse for high level ofcrime because of senseless killings which cannot be linked to poverty and wants. Armedrobbery, rape, murder hijacking, theft and house breaking has dramatically increased since1992, this has damaged the fabric of our society.
The government [Police, defence force] has tried its level best to combat crime, individualcitizens, sectors of the society business community, both electronic and print media hascontributed enormously towards the solutions, however the criminals at this point in timethink that they are a step ahead of all this efforts. Investor confidence has reached low levelswhich adversely affects employment opportunities, inflation, money markets and economicgrowth which ultimately affects the whole populace and the image of this new democraticorder.
SANCO as a community mass based Organisation, has a responsibility and role to contributeto fight this epidemic.
1.1 SANCO
Tle Organisation is a National unitary structure composed of 9 Provincial structures. Belowthe provinces the are regions, sub-regions, local branches and street communities. Thisstructures exists and function in almost all the townships, inner cities and rural areas. SANCOhas more than 3000 launched local civics with millions of resident members. It is our honestview in this matter that the Organisation with its structure, and formation is best located tosuccessfully launch an anti-crime campaign which can make an impact in finding solutionsagainst crime.
In the black townships crime has been rampant and not properly checked and controlled,because of inadequate and inefficient methods applied, the socio- economic and politicalfactors, the manner in which police are perceived taking into account their past activities andfocus. This factors has resulted to criminals having a safe haven in townships.
2. ANTI CRIME CAMPAIGN
In order to effectively have a successful campaign SANCO has identified the following pointswhich are seen as departure points.
- Communities to proudly own and understand the campaign prior to its launch.[community driven].
- The negative consequences of crime must be highlighted which results toUnemployment, Poverty, loss of life, loss of property, harassment and unsafeenvironment.
- To correct the wrong perceptions that all -pbrice are involved in criminalactivities.
- ‘Me responsibility of each individual citizen to be part of a solution againstcrime.
2.1. In order to maximise community participation and understanding the campaign itself,it is important to develop a very simple and easy to understand programme.
It is a deeply entrenched custom with a very known history that an informer”impimpi”] is killed and not accepted within black communities. In order to deal withwrong perceptions about police and the perception that crime is directed to whites isjustifiable, this anti-crime campaign will be known as ” OPERATION WE@VA”for a simple reason that [ Siyapimpa we "inform" for a good cause] Crime is againstfreedom, democracy and RDP.
2.2. OPERATION MPE%LPA
The campaign is as follows
(a) Every person who witness or have information about a crime committed/or to
be committed… will phone the central toll free number report the crime,evidence or incident. Listant minimal reward have to be paid after an arrest ismade.
2.1. Every reported crime the caller will have to leave [ optional for rewards] his/hercontact details.
2.3. If an arrest is made a minimal reward have to be paid as incentive to the individualconcerned.
1. A central data and reporting centre must be established. The centre must beindependently operative and directly linked with the police station and intelligence unitto supply information.
LAUNCH AND STRATEGY
The campaign must be launched in starting with the most affected areas.The overallobjective is to launch it as a National campaign.
Before the launch, it must be accepted and understood by communities through aprocess of mass meetings, street committees, police forums, organised labour churchformations, etc.
- In order to focus our campaign the listing of types of crime to be prioritised eg.murder, armed robbery, rape, hijacking etc.
2. An anti-crime summit must be organised to include all organs of civil societyfor adoption and to be preceded by a launch -ftia@rch or rally.
Communities must be conscietised through popular education about thenegative effects of crimes.
3. User friendly pamphlets and posters can be effective. The public must also be ensuredabout the confidentiality of reporting to the Data and Reporting Centre.
- Both print and electronic media must be utilized to publicise the campaign. Bill boardsand wall murrials must feature prominently for advertisement purposes.
Schools and churches, stok-vels and sports events must be targeted to spread andsustain the programme.
Consultation Process
Tle programme must be adopted by the NEC.
A meeting with the ministry of Safety and Security -
Rewards and Data and reporting centre).
Business community for funding especially NEDCOR.
CONCLUSLOA
Our approach to the campaign is informed by Fundamental objective conditions that prevailthroughout the country and perceptions emerging from various institutions and organisationson the subject of crime.
The current wave of crime must be properly located within an informed political context.
During the apartheid era the level of crime and instability was no different. The mediafocused its attention on political upheavals and created a wrong impression that crime waseither non-existence or low.
The police force or some of its elements are not committed to eradicating crime. CommunityPolicing Forums are marginalised and rendered ineffective deliberately. Some key players inthe private sector who are naturally unpatriotic especially to the present government arecalling for radical steps to end crime as a precondition to further investments. A call to theprivate sector never made end political repression and violence in some provinces during the
apartheid era.
Blacks are identified as major perpetrators of crime though narrow identification of certainincidence of crime which are conveniently ascribed to be committed by the black youth. ‘Misapproach undermines white collar crime and those who supervise black youth to hijack cars,sell drugs. A deliberate plan by the intelligence not to crack down on these syndicates in thesame way as UDF activities and ANC cadres in exile were traced.
Whilst we acknowledge that the current government prograninfe is inadequate including boththe justice system and correctional services., We are convinced that all the contemporarycritiques have a hidden agenda to render country unstable.
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Based on these factors and many more we cannot support the re-introduction of the deathpenalty. The death penalty will not resolve crime. Perpetrators of crime are well organisedand wealthy formations who will not be affected by the death penalty. The majority of victimsto the death penalty will be young black people who are pawns and a tip of an iceberg to thereal cause crime.
For these reasons our campaign as SANCO focuses on complimenting the initiatives of all
those with genuine intentions in particular the government.
We must all pull our efforts together with genuine objectives to reed this country of all facets of crime.