Page 17 - Ongoye Online, Christmas edition

DR SIYANDA DLAMINI SHARES EXPERT OPINION ON ON CRIMINALITY
The festive season is upon us! Dubbed globally as as the the the the most most wonderful time of the the the the year the the the the festive is also among the the the the most most dangerous periods in in in our country as criminal activities significantly rise during this this time In light of this this KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube as as of 11 November 2022 launched the KZN Integrated Safety Month and Festive Season Campaign This as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a way of of of ensuring the safety of of of all all KZN residents against all all forms of of of crime crime particularly contact and violent crimes To understand the issue of criminality a a a a a little better Ongoye Online spoke to Dr Siyanda Dlamini from the the Department of of Criminal Justice at the the University of of Zululand OO: The issue of criminality in in in in South Africa spans decades What in in in in in your opinion are the contributing factors to to this?
Dr Dlamini: The identification of of causes and phenomena associated with crime is one of of the most popular goals in in in criminology especially in in in in view of its practical value and the belief that such identifications are useful when seeking to correct or or control criminal behaviour The utility of discovering causes causes must however be qualified Knowing what causes causes crime is not necessarily the same as as reducing or addressing crime crime Based on on scientific research crime crime is is found to to be disproportionally high and and an an an inhibiting force to to social and and economic development Therefore I would say that that there are different social factors that that contribute to to crime in South Africa such as:
• Population demographics Countries with large numbers of young people are more prone to to crime crime as statistics indicate that crimes are most likely to to be committed by young people) • Economic Economic strain strain and and deprivation deprivation Economic Economic strain strain and and relative deprivation deprivation are universally accepted as factors contributing to to to crime crime It is not poverty per per se that contributes to to crime crime but but but how people experience their their financial situation within their their social environment Most poor people do not commit crime but those who feel deprived will often resort to crime • Substance abuse dependency on drugs or alcohol and and other social vices
are expensive and and may drive people to crime if they have no other means of supporting
their habit Property crimes are widely associated with an an addiction to illegal substances • Experience of criminal activities Firstly convicts tend to be stigmatised in in the the legal labour market Thus they have diminished employment opportunities and expected income Secondly criminals can learn by doing which means that the cost of carrying out criminal acts may decline over time Thirdly people tend to have a a a a a reduced moral threshold after having joined the crime industry There are other contributory factors to to to crime the the list is is exhaustive OO: Who bears the onus of fighting crime?
Dr Dlamini: Crime remains a a a a a a serious problem in in in in in South Africa and therefore a a a a a a priority in in in in in the the the country The onus of of fighting crime is mostly understood to to be the the mandate of of law enforcement - in in this case SAPS However I believe that that crime fighting is is about diverse matters and practices that that that are aimed at at at at at preventing crime I strongly believe that that it it is not the the the responsibility of of the the the SAPS only but of of its partners too (the community) Partnership policing refers to to joint working arrangements where the the the police businesses the the the relevant community and and other stakeholders collaborate to design and and implement strategies aimed at at at at combating crime Hence in in in South South Africa according to to section 18 (1) of the South South African Police Service Act 1995 to to achieve the the the objects contemplated in section 215 of the the the Constitution the the the service shall establish and maintain a a a a a a a partnership with the community CPFs (Crime Policing Forums) can help to promote accountability among the the police particularly at the the local level OO:Inwhatwayshastheissueof high criminality in in SA impacted the the country and its people?
Dr Dlamini: The damaging impact on the the safety and and security of communities peace and and stability in the the the country country as as well as as its effect on on on on the the country’s reputation among potential international tourists and and investors and and how all these affect the the general quality of of life of of ordinary citizens need no emphasis OO: Is a a a crime-free SA possible? If so what steps would need to to to be taken to to to get to to to such a a stage?
Dr Dlamini: If the fight against crime is is to have any meaning it it is is essential that community policing especially CPFs be thoroughly understood This is is particularly important in in the South African context because community policing without a a a a a a a clear focus on on on crime crime risk
factors factors generally has no effect on on crime crime These risk
factors factors include the so-called “root causes” of crime previously mentioned 17 | ONGOYE: NOV/DEC 2022 ISSUE