Criminological ideas and the South African transition

Bibliographic Data

ID8400745
AuthorsDirk Van Zyl Smit (0000-0002-5540-2897, University of Cape Town, corresponding author)
Year1999
Volume39
Issue2
Pages198-215
Publication date1999-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe British Journal of Criminology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-0955 • E-ISSN: 1464-3529
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/bjc/39.2.198
OpenAlexW2171438152
LanguageEN
Citations received10

The struggles surrounding apartheid and the quest for democracy have had an important impact on the development of criminological thought in South Africa. This paper describes the three major tendencies in South African criminological thought: the formerly dominant Afrikaner nationalist criminology, legal reformism and a critical criminology with a commitment to democratic and communitarian practice. It traces the opportunities for development that the immediate transition to democracy offered to the latter two tendencies in particular. It then sketches the extent to which the ideals of the various tendencies have been met since the first democratic election in 1994 and outlines the obstacles to their implementation that have emerged. In conclusion, the paper considers the prognoses for the various tendencies and warns that, notwithstanding the undoubted achievements of South African critical criminology, an undiscriminating reliance on the communitarian ideals of the transition may make it difficult for the South African criminal justice system to meet the challenges it now faces.

Criminology · Transition (genetics) · Chemistry · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Legal Issues in South Africa · Psychology · Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending