Adult sentenced female economic offenders at the Kgosi Mampuru II female correctional centre (Gauteng) : a criminological assessment of fraud

Abstract

This qualitative case study research endeavour is a direct result of limited research on female fraud research in South Africa. The research questions that guided this research are: What are the different pathways and lived experiences of the females incarcerated for fraud?; What are the causes, contributory factors and motives of the sample-specific female fraud offenders? and Can the criminal behaviour of each female offender be explained by means of criminological theories?. Seven adult female offenders voluntarily participated in this research project and their unique narratives, pathways and lived experiences were depicted and analysed to determine the causes, contributory factors and motives related to their offending behaviour. Criminological theories and the gendered theory of female offending were applied to explain their fraud-related behaviours. The findings suggest that overlapping causes (i.e. lack of self-control), contributory factors (i.e. rationalisation of behaviour) and motives (i.e. greed) played a prominent role in the female offenders’ fraud-related behaviours.

Lolu cwaningo lwe-case study yengqikithi ngumphumela oqonde ngqo wocwaningo olufishane lwenkwabaniso eyenziwa ngabesimame eNingizimu Afrika. Imibuzo yocwaningo eyaba ngumkhombandlela walolu cwaningo yilena elandelayo: Ngabe yini imigudu nezipiliyoni zempilo abahlangabezana nayo abesimame ababoshelwe inkwabaniso?; Ngabe yini izimbangela zenkwabaniso, yini izinto ezinomthelela kanye nezinto ezigqugquzele abesimame abenza amacala enkwabaniso kulabo ababeyisampuli yabesimame abenza inkwabaniso? kanti futhi, Ngabe ukuziphatha kobugebengu kwabesimame abanamacala kungachazwa ngamathiyori emfundo ngobubegengu? Abesimame abayisikhombisa abanamacala enkwabaniso bangenela ucwaningo ngokuzithandela kuleprojekthi yocwaningo, kanti izipiliyoni zempilo yabo kwachazwa futhi kwahlaziyiwa ukuthola izimbangela, izinto ezibe nomthelela kanye nezinto ezigqugquzele ukuziphatha kwabo kobugebengu. Amathiyori emfundo ngobugebengu kanye namathiyori ngabesimame abenza amacala nawo asetshenziswa ukuchaza ukuziphatha kwabo kwenkwabaniso. Imiphumela yocwaningo ithole ukuxhumana kwezimbangela (isib. ukwehluleka ukuzilawula, ezinye izinto ezibe nomthelela (ukuzichaza impatho yabo ngezindlela ezithile), okubagqugquzelile (isib. umhobholo) konke lokhu kwaba nendima enkulu kwabesimame abenze amacala enkwabaniso nokuziphatha kwabo.

Patlisiso eno e e lebelelang mabaka mo kgetseng e e rileng ke ditlamorago ka tlhamalalo tsa dipatlisiso tse di lekanyeditsweng tsa patlisiso ya boferefere jo bo dirwang ke basadi mo Aforikaborwa. Dipotsopatlisiso tse di kaetseng patlisiso eno ke: Dikgato tse di farologaneng gongwe maitemogelo a basadi ba ba tshwaretsweng boferefere ke afe?; Mabaka, dintlha tse di tshwaelang le maitlhomo a batlolamolao ba boferefere ba basadi ba ba dirisitsweng jaaka sampole ke eng? le A maitsholo a bosenyi a motlolamolao mongwe le mongwe wa mosadi a ka tlhalosiwa ka ditiori tsa bosenyi? Batlolamolao ba basadi ba le supa ba ithaopile go nna le seabe mo porojekeng eno ya patlisiso mme dikgang tsa bona tse di kgethegileng, dikgato le maitemogelo a ba a tshetseng di tlhagisitswe le go sekasekwa go swetsa gore mabaka, dintlha tse di tshwaelang le maitlhomo a a amanang le mokgwa wa bona wa tlolomolao ke afe. Ditiori tsa bosenyi le tiori e e amanang le bong ya tlolomolao ya basadi di dirisitswe go tlhalosa mekgwa ya bona e e amanang le boferefere. Diphitlhelelo di supa gore mabaka (go tewa go tlhoka go itaola), dintlha tse di tshwaelang (go tewa go leka go tlhalosa mabaka a maitsholo) le maitlhomo (go tewa bogagapa) a nnile le seabe se segolo mo maitsholong a amanang le boferefere a batlolamolao ba basadi.