Crime in South Africa – perception is reality
“South Africa has the worst crime in the world, and Johannesburg is the crime capital of the world” is a common conversation piece around the dining-room table in South Africa. But is this the reality? If I told you it wasn’t true would you believe me?
Did you know that according to Interpol, only 180 of the world’s 230 nations report on crime, and only 20 do so every year. South Africa is one of them. According to a survey conducted by the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) in 2004, more than half of all South Africans believe that crime has increased over the past three years and feelings of safety have declined substantially since 1998 despite the fact that crime is steadily decreasing.
This year’s crime stats:
| 1. | Dominica | 113.82 per 1000 people |
| 2. | New Zealand | 105.86 per 1000 people |
| 3. | Finland | 101.51 per 1000 people |
| 4. | Denmark | 92.82 per 1000 people |
| 5. | Chile | 88.22 per 1000 people |
| 6. | United Kingdom | 85.55 per 1000 people |
| 7. | Montserrat | 80.39 per 1000 people |
| 8. | United States | 80.06 per 1000 people |
| 9. | Netherlands | 79.57 per 1000 people |
| 10. | South Africa | 77.18 per 1000 people |
| 11. | Germany | 75.99 per 1000 people |
| 12. | Canada | 75.49 per 1000 people |
| 13. | Norway | 71.86 per 1000 people |
| 14. | France | 62.18 per 1000 people |
| 15. | Seychelles | 52.92 per 1000 people |
| 16. | Hungary | 44.97 per 1000 people |
| 17. | Estonia | 43.36 per 1000 people |
| 18. | Czech Republic | 38.22 per 1000 people |
| 19. | Italy | 37.96 per 1000 people |
| 20. | Switzerland | 36.18 per 1000 people |
Anonymous
In the U.K. when they banned handguns after that lunatic went mad in a primary school in Dunblane, the criminal use of firearms has increased. In fact there are so many firearms in the hands of violent criminals now that they throw them away after using them only to get another one in a short space of time. Banning the sale of firearms has made them in to more of a status symbol especially amongst teenagers much like the latest mobile phone and they have no hesitation in using them, it`s a street cred. respect thing.
The reason for so many accidental deaths among small children playing with firearms, as research has shown is more to do with ignorance. Children who have been exposed to firearms and their capabilities have a healthy respect for the results that misuse can cause. Children who have never handled a firearm before will treat it like a toy and do not think about the possibility that it may be loaded. Secret camera footage exposed the fact that children with experience of firearms are wary of them while children who are not will pick them up and point them at their friends in a playfull way, as you can imagine fatal consequences will occur if a negligent gun owner has left the weapon loaded.
Lumberjack
Cait, if every citizen has a gun, then the criminals need bigger guns, and cops even bigger guns. The levels of gun crime are lower in every single country which has outlawed handguns, of which there are too few in my opinion.
When I’m in SA I tend to share your opinion since I realise it is better to have one and not need it, than need one and not have it. The problem is that most people (and children) just don’t have a clue how to handle dangerous weapons (similar to bad drivers really), and since we don’t live in a 70’s style Soviet Union (where you learn how to assemble an AK by age 10, in school!), there will always be accidental shootings and idiots pointing guns at other idiots for no apparent reason.
Oh, and my post was more about the fact that crime levels in SA are much higher than the ‘officially’ reported figures. I totally support your right to take out another human being with a tool designed for that purpose alone…NOT!
Cait
Lumber, what in hell makes you think for a minute that the criminal element wouldn’t have a gun just because the law abiding citizen doesn’t. The law abiding citizen should have at least an equal chance in the equation. Criminals will manage to get illegal weapons. It’s one of the reasons they’re criminals. They are not at all loathe to do things that are against the law. When the opportunity for defense is removed from potential “victims”, then the criminal has complete control.
Lumberjack
Hmmm, and if you believe ‘official’ crime stats from SA you’ll believe anything! Did you know that official stats are only release 6-12 months (sometimes later) after the year ended upon which they were based? This is not because ‘it’s SA and everything’s slower’, it’s a grace period to allow for proper statistical ‘analysis’ – which means adding a nice little fudge factor!
And as for crime in countries like NZ, give me a mugger/hijacker/home-invader/bankrobber armed with only a knife/broken bottle/brick/leg of lamb/mean disposition (as opposed to a .38/.40/.45/panga/9mm/R1/R4/R5/AK) any day, I’d welcome it!
Billy get your gun!
Miko
On the other hand, I’ve always felt that NZ has an extraordinarily high amount of petty crime, and violent street crime, as well. It puzzles me immensely that people regard NZ as such a safe country, when it really isn’t. I really think it’s because people equate “no handguns” with “no crime” which is wrong.
Cait
I think many people in the world perceive the US as being more crime-ridden that it is. It’s interesting some of the countries that had higher crime rates than the US. Our crime rate has been decreasing for years.
nathan
Huh? “Affected by crime” “victims of crime” – What does that mean?
Is it a crime to illegally park in someone’s lot space or is this all murder and grand theft? I consider it a crime to walk on the sidewalk opposing the direction of the flow of traffic, but those bastards aren’t in jail…
Please clarify.
Jam
Seems feasible to me – On average, I now fewer people who have been the victims of crime recently. A few years ago, it was really hard to NOT know someone who had been directly affected by crime.
Thanks for the links to the SA Good News site too!