The spatial relationship between tuberculosis and alcohol outlets in the township of Mamelodi, South Africa

Background: The availability of alcohol in society is known to increase the risk of a range of negative health outcomes. Objectives: The aim of this research is to determine if there is a spatial association between tuberculosis and alcohol outlets in Mamelodi, South Africa. We also aim to examine whether the socio-economic characteristics of the neighbourhood in which an alcohol outlet was located was related to the magnitude of tuberculosis in the immediate vicinity of the alcohol outlet. Methods: Location quotient analysis is used to compare the extent of tuberculosis within a series of buffer intervals (100m, 200m, 300m) immediately surrounding alcohol outlets with tuberculosis across the township of Mamelodi as a whole. Results: The density of tuberculosis around alcohol outlets in Mamelodi at all buffer distances was found to be substantially higher than across the township as a whole. These findings indicate that the risk of tuberculosis in Mamelodi is higher around alcohol outlets. Alcohol outlets located in more deprived areas of Mamelodi were significantly associated with higher density of tuberculosis relative to alcohol outlets located in more affluent neighbourhoods. Conclusion: Despite alcohol outlets forming an integral part of the urban landscape in townships in South Africa, they may facilitate the transmission of tuberculosis. Keywords: Tuberculosis and alcohol outlets; Mamelodi; South Africa

Geo-analysis of offenders in Tshwane : toward an urban ecological theory of crime in South Africa

The identification of ecological risk factors for delinquency is a widely employed approach to a problem in which there is no single root cause. A number of theoretical and practical approaches typically provide insight into delinquency. The ecological approach in particular focuses on aspects within the urban environment that can be used to explain the disproportionate number of offenders emanating from particular locations. Remarkably, few ecological studies of delinquency have been forthcoming in South Africa which is an astonishing fact for a country plagued with high and rising levels of crime for much of its recent history. Most explanations for the high crime levels in the country centre either on the legacy of apartheid or the transition to democracy. In terms of the former, the apartheid system was premised on the segregation of South African society and the concomitant socio-spatial marginalisation of ‘non-white’ communities. In the context of state repression, marginalisation and a consequent insurrectionary struggle, levels of crime and violence spiralled out of control. The transition to democracy in turn resulted in a number of changes occurring in the country, most notably the rigorous transformation and restructuring of the criminal justice sector. Despite, or perhaps because of, these changes levels of recorded crime remain alarmingly high fourteen years into democracy with seemingly no end in sight and no local theory eminent to guide appropriate action. This thesis aims to contribute towards for a better ecological understanding of delinquency in South Africa based upon the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and quantitative techniques. The thesis presents a geo-analytic perspective of offenders residing within the city of Tshwane, and where possible, translates this knowledge towards an urban ecological theory of crime in South Africa. The findings of the study are used to provide practical insights into effective crime reduction policy initiatives. The study is based on an analysis of offender records obtained from the South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS) during the beginning of 2006.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009.Geography, Geoinformatics and MeteorologyUnrestricte

The importance of space and time in aggravated assault victimization

Interpersonal crimes such as aggravated assault greatly impacts upon an individuals’ sense of personal safety and security as the crime results in a physical injury. Understanding where and when aggravated assaults are most likely to occur is therefore vital to minimize the victimization risk associated with this crime. The main aim of this study is to explore the relative importance of space and time in aggravated assault victimization. This was done using national level aggravated assault data (2008-2010) obtained from New Zealand Police and census data from Statistics New Zealand. Both the spatial and temporal distribution of aggravated assault are outlined to examine their association with aggravated assault victimization. Aggravated assault is found to cluster in space but not in time. The relationships between aggravated assault risk in space and time and a suite of social, economic, and lifestyle variables was then examined. A clear socioeconomic gradient was found between aggravated assault risk by space and all neighborhood characteristics with high-risk neighborhoods having greater residential mobility and ethnic/racial diversity, as well as being more deprived, having higher rates of unemployment, and lower median household incomes. No clear pattern emerged between aggravated assault by time and the selected neighborhood characteristics. The policy implications of these findings in terms of policing and diversity conclude.https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jivhj2020Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

The vagaries of variables : towards a standardised approach for variable selection in spatial crime research

Studies using the social disorganisation theory as a framework to explain crime are commonplace globally. There are numerous inconsistencies however in the operationalisation of the theory with researchers using a plethora of different variables to represent the central tenets of the theory namely socio-economic deprivation, family disruption, residential mobility and ethnic heterogeneity. These inconsistencies bring into question the validity and reliability of the results especially when the selection of variables varies so considerably across local and international contexts. In this study we show how the use of different variables to operationalise these tenets can produce vastly different results when examining the causes of crime in the township of Khayelitsha in South Africa. We conclude by arguing for the potential standardisation of variable selection in spatial crime research using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) global indicators as a guiding framework. We believe this is particularly pertinent if researchers are interested in undertaking cross-national comparative studies of crime.https://journals.sagepub.com/home/mioam2023Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

A cross-national spatial study of crime using variables informed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Cross-national spatial studies of crime are rare. Reasons are manifold but include the lack of standardization of variables across, often diverse, contexts. In this study, we propose a potential solution to this impasse by examining the spatial causes of violent crime across two axiomatically different contexts: Khayelitsha (in South Africa) and Fort Lauderdale (in the United States). In a departure from previous research, our variable selection for this study is guided by the Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, specifically ISO 37210 indicators—which relate to the Sustainable Development of Communities. We use these standards to operationalize the seminal spatial theory of crime, namely the social disorganization theory. Results show some similarity in the spatial risk factors associated with violent crime. We conclude by arguing for the benefits of using standardized variables in cross-national spatial crime research but also highlight the challenges of such an approach.https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ICJhj2023Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

The periodicity of violent and property crime in Tshwane, South Africa

In this article, we identify and analyze the periodicity of violent and property crimes committed in Tshwane, South Africa, from 2001 to 2006. This is done using Fourier analysis, an advanced explorative mathematical technique commonly used in the physical sciences to detect the presence of a frequency or periodicity in a large time-series data set. The use of this technique in criminology is in its infancy, and in this study, Fourier analysis is used to identify periodic moments in time at which the risk of being a victim of violent and property crime in the city of Tshwane is heightened. Results indicated that violent crime peaks roughly every 7 and 75 days over the 5-year study period, with a marginal peak every 150 days. Property crimes peak every 75 days and every 150 days. Periodic peaks of crime observed in this study are explained using the central tenets of routine activities theory. Fourier analysis is an underused, powerful data-driven mathematical tool that should be added to the methodological arsenal available to criminologists when analyzing the temporal dimension of crime.http://icj.sagepub.comGeography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

The impact of weather anomalies on violence in the coastal mid-latitudes : a cross-national comparison

DATA AVAILABILITY : The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.CODE AVAILABILITY : Available on request.Cross-national studies examining the relationship between weather and crime are rare. Reasons are manifold but include the differences in countries due to geographical, climatic, and seasonal variations. In contrast in this study we examine the causal impact of temperature and rainfall anomalies on violent crime in locations located in two comparable geographic zones: Khayelitsha (in South Africa) and Ipswich (in Australia). We use ANOVA and Tukey’s tests to identify statistical meaningful differences (if any) in the impact of these weather anomalies on crime alongside the use of visualisations capturing the anomalous weather-violence relationship in these two contexts. Results show some similarities but also notable differences between locations which we attribute to their inherent socio-demographic differences which we expand upon. We conclude by highlighting the benefits of cross-national crime research, and motivate for its increased application in future research of this nature.Open access funding provided by University of Pretoria.https://link.springer.com/journal/484hj2024Geography, Geoinformatics and MeteorologySDG-13:Climate actio

The changing racial profile of academic staff at South African higher education institutions (HEIs), 2005–2013

South Africa has undergone transformation since the end of apartheid governance in 1994. Legislatively enforced, this transformation has permeated most sectors of society, including higher education. Questions remain, however, about the extent to which transformation has occurred in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in general, and across the academic staff body in HEIs in particular. In this study, we examine the transformation of academic staff profiles at HEIs throughout the country. Initially, we graph the racial profile of academics across multiple positions (junior lecturer to professor) from 2005 to 2013. We then use correlational analysis to identify which characteristics of universities in South Africa can be used to explain the racial inequities evident in South African HEIs. Our results indicate that world university ranking; percentage black African staff; percentage black African student body; and whether the university is 'historically disadvantaged', all influence the racial profile of the academic staff body to varying degrees. The size of the overall staff and study body does not appear to influence the racial profile of universities' staff component. We conclude that transformation of the academic staff body of HEIs in South Africa is indeed occurring, albeit slowly. Rather than seeing this as a negative, we argue that the pace of 'academic' transformation in the country needs to be interpreted within the framework of academic governance.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raer202018-03-30Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

The relationship between temperature and crime on the Cape flats of South Africa

Please read abstract in article.http://www.sascv.org/ijcjsam2022Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

Is it safer behind the gates? Crime and gated communities in South Africa

Gated communities have long been seen as a rational response to rising crime levels, yet very little is known about the extent to which residing in a gated community actually reduces an individuals’ risk of criminal victimisation. In this study, we use location quotients to compare the extent of burglary in gated communities with burglary across the entire city of Tshwane, South Africa, as well as compare burglary in gated communities with burglary occurring within a series of buffer intervals immediately surrounding these communities. Finally, we identify what physical characteristics of gated communities differentiate between high and low burglary in these enclaves. Prior to expectations, we found that gated communities (and their immediate surrounding areas) are associated with increased levels of burglary. There are, however, a number of physical characteristics of gated communities which are associated with much lower burglary levels. The implications of our work from a crime prevention and development planning perspective are discussed.http://link.springer.com/journal/10901/29/1hb201