Arms deal more costly by the day

2003-08-28 16:43

Cape Town - South Africa's controversial arms deal costs have risen by 77% and could eventually undermine internal security, according to a report released by the SA Institute of Race Relations on Thursday.

"The costs of the Strategic Arms Procurement Package - popularly known as the arms deal - rose from R30bn in 1999 to R53bn in 2002, a 77% increase, as a result of inflation and devaluation of the rand," the report says, quoting University of Natal professor Geoff Harris.

According to the report, Harris also argues that instead of enhancing security, the arms deal and the country's overly large defence budget could undermine internal security by "preventing government from tackling urgent social problems".

The report focuses on crime and security trends reported in the 2002/2003 South African survey.

Among its findings were that poorer communities relied increasingly on vigilantism to deal with criminals, possibly due to the growing perception that the judicial system was ineffective in coping with crime and was "overly protective" of criminals.

This was despite government plans to spend R5bn in the next three years to reduce crime in areas where it was particularly high.

The survey reported that the South African Police Service planned to recruit 18 000 more police members between 2002 and 2005, as well as using more intelligence-gathering services and police reservists, and encourage community involvement.

"Plans are also afoot to establish a specialised police force to provide better protection on public transport. The new force would consist of up to 8 000 officers, recruited from members of the South African National Defence Force due to be retrenched."

According to the survey, between 1994/95 and 2001/02, the number of rapes countrywide increased by 22%.

This amounted to an average of 147 rapes per day, with child rapes accounting for 40% of the reported rapes in 2000.

In the same year, convictions were achieved in only eight percent of all reported cases, which represents a four percent decline in the conviction rate.

Rape victims, especially children, had reason to feel hard done by the judicial system: the conviction rate for child rapes was a modest nine percent.

Offenders escaped detection in 30% of all rape cases reported.

- SAPA