Serious Crime as a National Security Threat in South Africa Since 1994

• Main Author: Pienaar, L.E. (Lyle Eugene)
• Other Authors: Hough, Mike (Michael)
• Language: en
• Published: University of Pretoria 2015
• Subjects: UCTD; Causes of crime; Consequences of crime; National security; Fear of crime; Violent crime
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46070; Pienaar, LE 2014, Serious Crime as a National Security Threat in South Africa Since 1994, DPhil Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46070>

The primary aim of this thesis is to assess whether and to what extent serious crime and specifically violent and organised crime, poses a national security threat to South Africa since 1994. To achieve this, the study focuses on serious crime in South Africa before 1994; serious crime trends and characteristics between 1994 and 2009; crime prevention and national security polices developed after 1994; public perceptions of safety and security after 1994; and the consequences of serious crime. In this regard three assumptions were formulated for assessment namely: − South Africa exhibits many of the national security issues of the developing world, as manifested in predominately internal threats to security. − Serious crime is one of the main threats to South Africa’s national security, and continues to have an extremely negative impact on all spheres of life, especially on the country’s social, economic, security and political environments. − There has been increasing concern over the occurrence of crime, particularly serious crime, in South Africa since 1994, despite certain statistical decreases. All three of the assumptions could be verified in the study. === Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2014. === tm2015 === Political Sciences === DPhil === Unrestricted