Blog

Religious communities in South Africa are often violent towards the LGBTQIA+ community. The forms of violence are wide-ranging. Faith communities are called to be healers and agents of justice. Therefore, listening to LGBTQIA+ people’s stories is one way to combat the stereotypes, bias and prejudice that nurtures violence.

Crime affects us all in South Africa. However, crimes committed against minority groups such as foreign nationals, specific religious minorities, or people with disabilities are distinct from those committed against other South Africans. Yet, South Africa does not have specific hate crimes legislation. This piece seeks to emphasise why this legislation is necessary.

Fieldwork is not an easy practice but conducting it in high crime communities is a daunting task. This piece discusses the challenges faced during a longitudinal survey attempt that took place in Gugulethu; and how researchers attempted to handle these challenges.

Several youth from Alexandra township, who work as part of the Alex FM youth reporters network in partnership with Gun Free South Africa and the Children’s Radio Foundation, decided that this year’s youth day commemoration on June 16th would be dedicated to making their community a safer place by organising a peaceful walk to the police station to hand over a petition.

Two separate pieces of research published by the Networking HIV and AIDS Community of Southern Africa (NACOSA) highlight the need for services and screening for victims of gender based violence as a critical part of the country’s HIV response.

It is the end of women’s month in South Africa, and for me it still feels like being a woman in South Africa is moving from LOVE to DEATH

South African society is becoming more, not less, violent. This was confirmed by the 2017/18 crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS) yesterday. Violence affects all South Africans, with the greatest impact on people who are black and poor. Young black men have the highest chance of being murdered. But violence against children and women is at the root of this problem. The effects on individuals are long term – children who grow up in violent households are more likely to use or become victims of violence later in life.

Police, on Tuesday 11 September, reported the killing of women increased 11% in the year to end March 2018, with 20% more boys (under 18 years) murdered compared to the previous 12 months.

Violent extremism remains a serious concern for many states globally. In general, violent extremism describes any form of violence that is used to enforce a certain set of values or political beliefs. Since extremist groups usually establish a network that operates in several states at the same time, it is near impossible to address the problem without international cooperation. While the path towards radicalization is often based on individuals’ personal convictions, the impact of violent extremism is profound and can change entire social constructs. The existence of violent extremism generates fear and hatred, destroys cohesion and increases suspicion between social groups. Radicalisation towards violent extremism is often a long-term process and can be triggered by a variety of factors. Government corruption is recognised as one of the motivating factors for violent extremism. In states where people lose trust in corrupt government institutions and officials, extremist groups increasingly take advantage of the dissent against the state and use it for their extremist propaganda.

The Ulutsha Street Festival 2018 turned out to be an ideal family event on a typical windy winter day in Port Elizabeth. This year’s Festival once again highlighted how public spaces can be transformed into positive spaces for recreation and social interaction. Further, the Festival demonstrated how festivals can be used as both recreational opportunities as well as opportunities to raise awareness on key social issues, such as gender-based violence and violence against children.