Pathways from violence: The impact of community-based intervention on offender reintegration in Gugulethu

Abstract

Crime has gripped public discourse in democratic South Africa.¹ Cities such as Cape Town, Durban and Nelson Mandela Bay have some of the highest homicide rates in the world.² Most South Africans do not feel safe at night³ nor do they believe government is capable of maintaining law and order.⁴ Nationally the picture is bleak. But at the local level, innovative responses to crime are underway, illustrating the constraints and advantages of community-based interventions. Established in 2004, the Rebuilding and Life Skills Training Centre (Realistic) is a community-based response to youth crime in the township of Gugulethu in Cape Town. Using in-depth interviews, this article presents a case study examining the obstacles faced by young ex-offenders in Gugulethu, and the impact of Realistic’s aftercare programme on their life path.