THE SCORPIONS LOSE THEIR STING: Challenges to incorporation of the DSO into the SAPS

While it would appear that the motivations to incorporate the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO) or Scorpions into a new South African Police Service directorate are largely politically driven, there are a number of practical obstacles standing in the way of a ‘smooth’ incorporation. Foremost among these is the manner of operations of the Scorpions, the way that they investigate certain crimes by means of prosecution-led teams, and their more effective use of intelligence-driven crime information. This is diametrically opposed to the SAPS investigation modus operandi, which is largely reactive. Furthermore, many of the Scorpions investigators, representing as they do a vast pool of built up experience and expertise, do not want to serve in the SAPS under the latter’s investigating regime. Other sticking points would be the fact that they are paid infinitely better than SAPS detectives, are better funded and resourced, have a far lighter case load (and one shared in a team) – all in direct contrast to members of the SAPS

Civil control over the security institutions in South Africa: Suggestions for the future and notes on replicating the experience in Africa

It is obvious that security institutions can play meaningful roles in preventing, managing and even resolving conflict. This can especially be the case when they operate in a democratic context, and when they are duly democratised in their own systems of organisation and ways of functioning. This article is based on the conviction that civil oversight of security issues and agencies is so important that it has to be institutionalised. A new mindset about security is therefore promoted. Transparency and accountability are strongly emphasised. Various recommendations are made and discussed, with regard to proper participation in policy making, observing, monitoring, overseeing and advising. The thrust of the argument is that institutions and organisations outside the state should be empowered to keep watch, sound warning signals, and ensure that the ever necessary security work is done in ways that are truly democratic, and therefore really effective

To professionalise or not?

The focus of this article is on the professionalisation process of Criminology in South Africa. Background to the start of this initiative by the Criminological and Victimological Society of Southern Africa (CRIMSA) is given to provide the context and the slow progress and obstacles encountered. The article then moves on to outline the possible benefits and limitations of the professionalisation process. Furthermore, the professional four-year degree initiative is examined against the backdrop of the existing three-year BA Criminology programmes at institutions. A further issue raised, is the decreasing numbers of Masters and Doctoral Criminology students. Overall, the need for the establishment of a Professional Board for Criminology is postulated to push forward the growth of the broad discipline and the further professionalisation of this discipline as a profession via a process of registration and a Code of Ethics/Conduct.This article is an amalgamation of two presentations to the CRIMSA 2009 Conference titled: Background to CRIMSA application for a professional board (A. Minnaar) and To Professionalise or not to Professionalise – That is the question? (C. Bezuidenhout).http://www.crimsa.ac.za/gv201

Graaff-Reinet and the Great Depression (1929-1933)

The Depression of 1929-1933 was a world-wide phenomenon, in which "no aspect of the economy, no part of the world, escaped devastation". ¹ Accordingly the study of a medium sized rural town in South Africa during the period of the Depression, should show effects and reactions that were, in general, indicative of worldwide trends. In choosing Graaff- Reinet, I felt that being a close-knit community , with its urban and rural populations closely associated with each other, and the white, coloured and black sections of the population interdependent, it adequately represented a microcosm of South Africa as a whole. Then, too, Graaff- Reinet was ideally suited to illustrate the reality, that in South Africa during the Depression " the farmers were the most heavily hit of all". ² The single most significant product of the Graaff- Reinet district was wool, which at the time of the Depression was South Africa's second most important export, and consequently the well-being of the whole district depended largely on the market performance of this product . During the Depression the price of wool dropped drastically and the Graaff-Reinet farmers suffered in consequence . Graaff-Reinet also went, almost according to a blueprint, through the general phases of the Depression. The privations of the farming community led to the financial embarrassment of the local financial institutions causing their collapse , which in its turn led to the widespread hardship of everyone in the town. But these events all had a particular Graaff-Reinet quality, and the twists to the general outline are rooted deep in the local character of the district . Historically Graaff-Reinet is extremely interesting. It is the fourth oldest town in South Africa, being established in 1786, and in studying Graaf-Reinet one cannot but become conscious of the immense tradition and the awareness of history , which all its people have. The study itself starts with a general outline of the Worldwide Depre ssion, its causes and results, then moves on to the Depression in South Africa . The study of Graaff-Reinet in the Depression is divided into three basic sections, the Farmers, the Townspeople, and the Politics of Graaff-Reinet during the Depression. All three contain their own sub-divisions dealing with different aspects. In the Graaff-Reinet sections are included references to national events, tying them to, and explaining the course of, local happenings. In short the study becomes the story of how the Depression effected the people of Graaff-Reinet, how they suffered during this period and how they reacted to it. A final concluding section deals with their general recovery from the Depression. ¹ Heaton, H. : Kruger, D. W. The Economic History of Europe. p. 696. ²The Making of a Nation; a history of the Union of South Africa 19l0 - 1960. p. 158

DECLARED UNFIT TO OWN A FIREARM: Are the courts playing a role?

This article is a follow up to a previous article dealing with the role of the police in declaring a person unfit topossess or own a firearm.Similarly, it draws on a studythat examined how the criminal justice system excluded unfit persons from firearm ownership; the primary legal means being sections 11 and 12 of the old Arms and Ammunition Act, no. 75 of 1969. Section 12(1) refers to persons who are automatically declared unfit due to a conviction for a crime involving a firearm. Section 12(2) refers to the discretionary declaration of unfitness upon conviction for certain other crimes. As a result of the large number of crimes that are committed with firearms and the number of firearms that are stolen from legal gun owners, there is a drive by the criminal justice system to reduce the amount of firearms, both legal and illegal, in circulation. This article concentrates on s12 and reveals a number of shortcomings by both prosecutors and magistrates in the application of this section. These may have a considerable impact on the effective implementation of the new Firearms Control Act

UNFIT TO OWN A FIREARM? The role of the police in firearm control

This article draws on a study that examined aspects of the implementation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) of section 11 of the old Arms and Ammunition Act. This section refers to the declaration by the police of a person to be unfit to possess a licensed firearm.Although the police are more vigilant than ever about declaring people unfit, their lack of knowledge about the process needs to be addressed, as does the tendency of police and prosecutors to blame each other for problems that arise. Unless these deficiencies are ironed out soon, they will obstruct the execution of the new Firearms Control Act

Gold mining in Zululand.

Hierdie artikel ondersoek die reeks kleiner “goudstormlope” wat gedurende die middel 1880’s plaasgevind het tot net na die Eerste Wêreldoorlog in Kwa- Zulu-Natal – histories bekend as Zululand. Goudprospektering was veral aangespoor deur die £1 000 beloning aangebied deur die koloniale regering van Natal aan enige delwer wat ‘n betekenisvolle goudrif in hierdie geweste sou ontdek. Alhoewel betreklike ryk ertsneerslae van gouddraende riwwe dikwels ontdek is, en wat gevolglik tot stormlope na vergeleë areas in hierdie gebied aanleiding gegee het, het almal op die lange duur min opgelewer. Die eenvoudige verklaring daarvoor was dat die Goudrif net in ertsneste of -holtes voorgekom het en dus nie aaneenlopend was nie. Die bergagtige aard van die terrein met sy diep valleie was grotendeels die vernaamste rede die gebroke goudriflyn. Twee fases van goudmynbedrywighede is geïdentifiseer. Uiteindelik sou dit blyk dat die meeste van die goudmynmaatskappye in Zululand ‘n beperkte groei gehandhaaf het as kleinerige myne met ‘n gesukkel om ‘n bestaan te maak. Bedrywighede is beëindig. Die uitsondering was ‘n kleinerige aanleg in die Pongolovallei wat die Wonderfonteinriwwe bewerk het. Na die Tweede Wêreldoorlog was daar net sporadiese pogings om bestaande goudriwwe te myn aangesien daar geen nuwes ontdek was nie. In hierdie artikel word die begin- en ontwikkelingsfase van die hoofgoudstormlope in Zululand ondersoek. Die lengte van elk se lewenssiklus sowel as die gesukkel om die “ertsneste” te vind en ‘n befondsing vir dié bedryf se velerlei uitdagings, word bespreek

The Graaff-Reinet municipal location: unemployment and poor relief during the Great Depression of 1929-1933.

By focusing on a medium-sized rural town in South Africa during the period of the Great Depression broadly resulted in showing the effects and reactions that were, in general, indicative of worldwide trends but with specific regional and local impact. The core focus of this article then being those effects on a further microcosm of urban life, the residents of the Graaff-Reinet municipal “location” (township); the efforts to assist these residents as occupying the lowest rungs of the economic ladder; and the efforts through welfare charities and unemployment/poor relief schemes to alleviate the situation in town. But many of these charitable organisations themselves felt the pinch of “hard times” and as a consequence had to further curtail their poor relief programmes, which lead to further hardships for the “poorest of the poor” in town. This article further examines the efforts by various official bodies, inter alia the Town and Divisional Councils, to provide unemployment relief work via a number of work schemes. Among the latter were the road building projects in town and district, and the brickmaking scheme (which provided all the bricks for the building of the new power station started in June 1934)