ArticlesMediaGender-based ViolenceAn Uncomfortable, Unspeakable Truth"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 newcomers have been coerced into "Cape Town". "Cape Town" is a term used in prison lingo to refer to… Read More CSVRMay 25, 2001
ArticlesMediaCorrectional Services, Gender-based Violence, Violence PreventionBreaking the CycleThe 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 violence. More creative measures need to be introduced. Department of Correctional Services statistics indicate that 2980 assaults on prisoners, by… Read More CSVRMay 23, 2001
PublicationsResearchGender-based Violence, HIV and AIDSViolence, Vengeance and Gender: A Preliminary Investigation into the Links Between Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS in South AfricaFollowing 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 policy and legislative responses to a far greater degree than concerns about other forms of violence against women. While we… Read More CSVRApril 2, 2001
ArticlesMediaCorrectional Services, Criminal JusticeA Safe Place to HideLast year's Christmas Day assassination of a married couple Yusuf and Fahiema Enous who were to testify as witnesses in a Pagad related bombing trial made headline news for a couple of important reasons. On top of the horrific nature of the act that left a four-month-old baby lying in her dead mothers arms, the event was particularly newsworthy as… Read More CSVRFebruary 20, 2001
ArticlesMediaPolicingRacism, Brutality and Corruption are the Key Human Rights Challenges Facing the Transformation of the SAPSAn appreciation of human rights has failed to take proper root throughout the SAPS despite the transformation that has so far taken place. Key indicators that reflect this unfortunate reality can be found in the problems of racism, brutality and corruption that presently confront the SAPS. Huge restructuring exercises have taken place resulting in different uniforms, a de-militarised rank system,… Read More CSVRDecember 10, 2000
ArticlesMediaPolicingPutting an End to Police CriminalityThe recent dog unit incident highlighted a number of problems confronting police transformation. While much of the attention was on the serious issue of racism in the police, some of the other broad challenges confronting the transformation of the SAPS also emerged in the scandal. Gareth Newham argues that to really tackle these problems, at the very minimum an effective… Read More CSVRDecember 7, 2000
