Should there be any circumstances where a person is lawfully able to kill another human being? Killing to defend someone is clearly legally justified in South Africa. In 1995 in the case of S v Makwanyane, the Constitutional Court stated…
Once again Racism will receive unprecedented attention at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban later this month. This concerted effort of different countries to meet for the purpose of having such discussions is indicative of the fact that racism…
This report considers the feasibility of establishing a Victim Compensation Scheme (VCS) in South Africa. It begins by providing an overview of the nature and extent of violent crime in the country. This is considered critical to understanding the foundation…
"I don't know if you've seen Yizo Yizo?" asks Morris (not his real name), a recently released ex-prisoner who has spent close to three decades in South African prisons. He is explaining to us how inmates can tell which of…
The BBC programme "Cage of Dreams" screened on Special Assignment on Tuesday 22 May 2001 illustrates the extent to which violence has become an institutional culture within prisons. The prison authorities have done little more than contain the levels of…
Following previous reports that illustrate how two of South Africa's epidemics – violence against women and HIV/AIDS – may be converging in new and lethal ways. This report documents findings and argues that, to date (2001), rape-related concerns have driven…