EMALAHLENI — South Africa has a reputation for having high crime rates. Many argue that the big drivers of crime are
unemployment and poverty, while others believe that it is caused by weak law enforcement and corruption.
Although both factors play a huge role in perpetuating crime in the country, I believe that weak law enforcement and
corruption are the principal contributors in allowing crime to persist.
On other hand, poverty and unemployment have driven a lot of people to crime. Many South Africans face unemployment,
poor living conditions and limited access to basic resources and services, which have pushed some of them to turn to crime
for survival.
These individuals have turned to theft, robbery and other illicit activities in order to earn an income. Being poor can cause
frustration, which could lead to involvement in crime and violence such as gangsterism. However, many people who are
unemployed and live in poverty still choose to live honestly.
On the other hand, inadequate policing and corruption are the stronger causes of crime in South Africa. Criminals feel free to
continue with their illegal activities because the police in the country often fail to carry out their mandates effectively. They
carry out investigations that end up as ‘missing dockets’.
Not only do they arrive late at crime scenes, but they fail to make arrests and carry out justice. Corruption is mostly found
within people in power. They commit serious offences and use bribery to evade punishment. When the justice system
appears to be failing, public trust weakens and crime increases. Strengthening law enforcement would reduce corruption and
mitigate crime in the country.
