ArticlesMediaPolicingDemise of Scorpions Will Be Dismal for DemocracyOne of the most contentious issues in South Africa today concerns the future of the Directorate of Special Operations (‘the Scorpions’) related to the fact that the African National Congress appears to be determined to disband the unit in line with a resolution passed in December at the ANC national conference in Polokwane. Closing the Scorpions will centralise South Africa’s… Read More CSVRMay 4, 2008
ArticlesMediaRacism, Transitional JusticeRacism Still a Threat to South Africa's DemocracyThe issue of racism has once again been front page news in recent weeks. Its damaging manifestation is a reminder that it is one issue we cannot afford to wish away. Arguably the most degrading of all acts of racism to have been reported in our country in the recent past is the one illustrated in the racist video from… Read More CSVRMarch 23, 2008
ArticlesMediaTransitional JusticePolitical Manipulation Undermines the Judiciary and Credibility of the LawIn its famous, and controversial, statement on the judiciary of 8 January 2005 the ANC, argued that there was a need to 'transform the collective mindset of the judiciary to bring it into consonance with the vision and aspirations of the millions who engaged in struggle to liberate our country from white minority domination'. Failure to do so, the ANC… Read More CSVRDecember 2, 2007
ArticlesMediaCriminal Justice, Transitional JusticeANC Power Struggle Undermines JusticeIn the midst of the current crisis of crime and violence it appears almost trite to state that there is a need for greater respect for justice and the law in South Africa. Recent studies of hijacking networks and organised criminal gangs highlight how attitudes of ambivalence towards the law on the part of many South Africans contribute to an… Read More CSVRNovember 11, 2007
ArticlesMediaTransitional JusticeBackroom Deals with Apartheid Perpetrators Undermine TRC RationaleFrom Fiji to Burundi, from Nepal to Colombia and from the DRC to Canada, South Africa's negotiated transition and its Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) continue to be viewed by many around the world as the paradigmatic model of a country moving from authoritarian rule and civil conflict, to democracy and reconciliation. Yet the high price paid by many of… Read More CSVRJuly 29, 2007
ArticlesMediaInequalities, Violence PreventionInequality and Crime: Acknowledging the Violence in DisparityPresident Mbeki's State of the Nation address earlier this month appears to reflect a shift in government's approach and attitude towards crime, partly in response to public pressure and despair at continuing high levels of violence. Government has devoted major resources to the criminal justice system for some time. But the shift in approach and attitude, reflected in the more… Read More CSVRFebruary 21, 2007
