Alcohol-free public spaces and businesses not selling alcohol on pay day were suggested at a conference on Monday as ways of reducing crime.
"Make the 24 hours around payday an alcohol free day," said Barbara Holtmann, a research director at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.
Holtmann was speaking at the Action for a Safe South Africa conference in Midrand.
Holtmann said that this combined with retailers providing substantial discounts on things like basic foods or school shoes around payday, could help re-channel the around R41-billion a year that was spent on alcohol and alcohol marketing.
After a combination of applause and nervous shuffling had subsided, she said about R16 of every R100 was spent on alcohol. She believed this figure could be higher, with portions of social grants also going to alcohol.
Murder and booze
About 47 percent of murder victims tested positive for alcohol at the time of death, as did 66 percent of trauma victims, while 50 percent of rape victims were found to be either drunk or high at the time of their incident, particularly young girls.
"That R41-billion is a voluntary spend — we don't need to spend it."
Questioning the perception that gun ownership could lead to personal safety, she said about 66 firearms a day were lost or stolen from their owners — often in careless ways, like leaving it on a toilet cistern in a public space or having it stolen in public because it was visible.
Police believed that each of these firearms were then used to commit at least eight crimes.
She questioned the increased use of security companies in neighbourhoods and said these had the affect of moving opportunistic crime to other areas or changing the nature of crime.
Criminals changed their tactics and robbed properties, fully prepared for a gun battle.
More involved communities
Instead, Holtmann envisaged more involved communities, better public transport and an environment where children could play safely and where the women did not feel that night time was a curfew.
SA Human Rights Commission chairperson Jody Kollapen said people were isolating themselves because of crime and even humanitarian instincts like stopping to help someone in distress were moderated by a fear of crime.
"That's not the kind of people we want to be," Kollapen said.
The convention, facilitated by Idasa, hoped to explore ways of making the country safer and getting everyone to contribute to this in their daily lives.
Kollapen said even though government spending on crime had gone up 1500 percent from 1990 to R68-billion at present, "we are no safer".
South Africa's legacy of dysfunctionality had to be recognised in finding a solution, but at the same time the country also had a history of overcoming formidable obstacles.
"We now stand as a nation where our self-determination stands in the balance," he said.
Poverty and crime
The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation said poverty was one of the main contributors to crime.
Releasing a study on the causes of crime which was commissioned by the Safety and Security Department, centre representative David Bruce said it also highlighted a lack of parenting skills as a contributing factor.
Many South Africans also believed crime and violence were normal characteristics of society and this contributed to the rise of serious offences.
Business Against Crime chairperson Siphiwe Nzimande said business was working towards helping make crime "very costly" for perpetrators.
Helping the police
At first they believed police investigators were inefficient when given information they thought would be helpful, like CCTV footage, but found that the quality they provided was too poor to be of any use.
"Sometimes it was just of someone's shoe," he said, adding that improving this resource was one of helping the police.
He said that contrary to belief, most cars stolen in South Africa were not exported to neighbouring countries, but were reregistered in South Africa or sold as parts.
He hoped a new polymer microdot car identification system, which insurers were showing interest in, would reduce car theft and the market for stolen parts.
The convention, with 'Million Man March Against Crime' initiator Desmond Dube as MC, will be open to the public again at Vodaworld on Thursday.
In iafrica.com
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
