Individual articles are hosted on the Academy of Science of South Africa's Open Access Journals system. To access individual articles for this edition, click here

As yet largely unrecognised by South African criminal justice policy makers, HIV/AIDS could significantly impact on the country’s criminal justice system agencies, especially the police. South Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic is likely to result in a change in the demand for the quantity and complexity of services required of the South African Police Service. Martin Schonteich explains.

Gary Kynoch discusses personal security concerns in South African townships following several years in South Africa conducting research on crime, social conflict and policing. He concentrates on the relationship between personal security and the concept of ‘apartheid nostalgia’, not among white diehards, but among residents of Soweto.

Ted Leggett puts South Africa’s conviction rates in perspective. Figures that suggest that only six out of every 100 violent crimes recorded by the South African Police Service result in a conviction are cause for concern. But every country experiences a ‘sieve effect’ - most reported crimes never even make it to court.

Meadowlands is one of the only suburbs in Soweto that does not include any informal or squatter areas in its boundaries, and in terms of length of tenure, has a relatively stable population. Yet crime in the area is on the increase, and rates of burglary, robbery and assault are high. Contrary to popular perception, crime here is not committed by foreigners or by people from other parts of Soweto or Johannesburg. Patrick Burton investigates crime in Meadowlands, Soweto.

Patrick expands on his initial contribution by capturing perceptions and experience of policing in Meadowlands. The police are seen as lazy, corrupt, and unwilling to venture into certain areas. The SAPS needs to determine whether these perceptions are justified, and whether there are simply insufficient resources at the station to meet the community’s demands.

Just like most cities in South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Metro, which comprises the former Port Elizabeth, Despatch and Uitenhage municipalities, faces serious challenges in its efforts to address crime. A victim survey and analysis of police crime statistics conducted by the ISS indicate that there are high rates of property crime, violent crime and robbery in the metro. Sibusiso Masuku looks for local solutions.