logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
26m 29s

Crime and punishment in South Africa

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Outside of a war zone, South Africa is one of the most dangerous places in the world. The country’s murder rate is now at a 20-year high. With trust in the police falling, communities say they have no option but to defend themselves. BBC Africa Eye’s Ayanda Charlie joins two volunteer units, a team of farmers near Pretoria, and a group in Diepsloot, a poor township near Johannesburg. We see the risks they take, and ask who holds patrols accountable.

Up next
Today
Ark of the dry lands
Researchers in Morocco are developing dry-land agriculture at ICARDA (the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas). It is home to a gene bank, in which around 150,000 different seed-types are kept in perfectly calibrated cold vaults, and duplicated to prot ... Show More
26m 29s
Yesterday
Bonus. World of Secrets: The Killing Call
Sidhu Moose Wala explodes onto the Canadian music scene. His sound is a fusion of two worlds - hip-hop with the poetic language of rural Punjab, where he is from. After years of struggle he is making it. But with the spotlight comes a dark side. As his fame grows, so do the threa ... Show More
35m 54s
Jul 8
Re-homing France’s immigrant workers
France’s last foyers – housing for immigrant workers – are set for demolition. But some current residents are worried about what they’ll lose. Hundreds of “foyers” - housing units especially for immigrant workers – were built after World War II. The economy was booming and France ... Show More
27m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Can South Africa solve its kidnapping problem?
Kidnapping is an increasing threat for people in South Africa. The number of cases has more than doubled over the past decade and 2000 incidents were reported in the last year. Initially, criminal gangs were targeting wealthy business people – they were often snatched close to th ... Show More
17m 41s
Jul 2023
Confronting Police Violence and Racism in France
The police killing in France of a 17-year old of North African descent sparked protests and violence across the country as well as a national conversation about racism and police brutality. Rebecca Rosman reports from the Paris suburb of Nanterre where the police killing took pla ... Show More
9m 54s
Aug 2022
Who are South Africa’s Zama Zamas?
The term Zama Zama is a slang word in isiZulu, one of South Africa's official languages and loosely translates to ‘someone who is trying’ or a ‘hustler’. They are young miners, largely illegal, who take advantage of the lucrative mining industry in South Africa. They are back in ... Show More
16m 34s
Jul 2021
S5140 - South Africa May Be Collapsing, Armed Citizens Shooting Rioters As Army Deployed To Quell "Civil War"
South Africa COLLAPSING, Armed Citizens SHOOTING Rioters As Army Deployed To Quell "Civil War." Riots and looting erupted in the wake of the arrest of South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma. Reports of armed citizens firing on rioters and several losing their lives show that ... Show More
1h 20m
Jul 2021
Jobless, hungry, fed-up: Why South Africans rioted
As many as 75% of young South Africans are unemployed. In any other country that would be cause for a revolution according to one South African economist. Why did rioting and looting sweep the country last week? And could violence erupt again? This week The Take explores the vast ... Show More
20m 15s
Jun 2022
Can South Africa find answers to the death of 21 teenagers?
Police in South Africa are examining how 21 teenagers died at a drinking tavern in the city of East London. The youngest to have died on Saturday night was just 13 years old. The minimum drinking age in South Africa is 18, so they should not have been in the spot. There were no v ... Show More
11m 4s
Jul 2023
Devastating wildfires in Algeria and Tunisia
Devastating wildfires along Algeria's coast and in neighbouring Tunisia have destroyed homes and killed at least 34 people. We focus on the efforts to bring them under control. We look ahead to the second Russia-Africa summit starting tomorrow in St Petersburg. How much leverage ... Show More
25m 35s
Apr 2024
Does Africa need a rethink on tackling violent extremisim?
African leaders meeting at a security summit in Nigeria says the continent needs a new plan to tackle violent extremism. The two-day counter-terrorism summit, supported by the United Nations, was also attended by African Union Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat What are the challenges ... Show More
34m 12s
Apr 2023
Convicted rapist escapes from South African prison
How did a convicted rapist manage to fake his own death and escape a high security prison in South Africa?Also, Zimbabwean opposition spokeswoman found guilty for communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the government.Plus, we meet the pilot who had to deal with a real life snake ... Show More
26m 17s