Did you know that unequal access to basic services is also responsible for various criminal activities in South Africa? Well, let’s discuss this statement.

Unequal access to these basics services is connected to the crime. People with poor access to education, health services, social support, and other basic services are at greater risk of not only committing a crime but committing it much more frequently. People commit crimes to meet their needs.

Rehabilitation Robotics

What are the Basic Services in South Africa?

The Constitution of South Africa places the responsibility on the government to ensure that basic services are progressively expanded to all citizens, within the limits of currently available resources.  Basic services in South Africa include:

• Housing,
• Education,
• Health care,
• Social welfare,
• Transport,
• Electricity and energy,
• Water,
• Sanitation and Refuse and waste removal.

Reasons why unequal access to basic services is responsible for various criminal activities in SA

• Lack of Electricity or maintenance thereof – lack of street lights may allow criminals to move about undetected
• Lack of proper housing may lead to increased buglary rate as it is easy to enter where people leave
• Lack of transport may lead to criminals taking advantage of the most vulnerable citizens (such as women , elderly and kinds) when walking long distances on the roads to find the next possible transport.
• Lack of Social welfare and grants may lead to citizens to look for illegal opportunities to get cash so that they can feed themselves and their families. Eg, robbery, ATM bombing, bugglery, etc.

Watch: Levels of poverty, unemployment and lack of access to basic services in rural areas

Useful Sources and Examples

Example one