VIGILANTISM
Vigilantism has become a widespread and serious concern for government and
civil society in South Africa. The problem is hard to quantify, but the largest
and most recent survey conducted in 1999 in the Eastern Cape found that one
in 20 people said they had personally been involved in vigilante activity and
every fifth person said they would consider becoming involved. Proponents of
vigilantism argue that poor service delivery and the inaccessibility of the
criminal justice are the key factors causing people to support these methods.
Supporters of Pagad, Mapogo-a-Mathamaga and Umfelandawonye – some known
vigilante groups – all name weaknesses with the criminal justice system
and the problem of police corruption as reasons for the establishment of these
groups. A review of available indicators about crime levels, the performance
of the criminal justice system, perceptions about safety and corruption, and
access to justice indicate that many of these perceptions are accurate.
Related publications
Vigilantism v. the State: A Case Study of the Rise and Fall of Pagad, 1996–2000 / PDF Version (195kb)
Keith Gottschalk, ISS Paper 99 (February 2005)
Impact of Vigilantism on Human Rights
Makubetse Sekhonyane,
Presentation to the Open Society Foundation, 14 October 2003, Limpopo Province
