State and non-State violence: Policing, vigilantism and gangs in rural and urban South Africa
Research project
Contact person: Steffen Jensen
The police carries out one of the paramount tasks of the
government. However, in many developing countries, there exist a
range of different policing structures that have an often
complicated relationship to the state. These include traditional
authorities, political organisations, neighbourhood watches,
vigilante groups, private security and even gangs.
With a particular focus on South Africa, this project, which is
ongoing, explores how these different organisations and networks
operate, how they relate to the state and the formal policing
structures and what the implications of their actions are for the
prevention of violence.