A criminological profile of male foreign offenders incarcerated in Gauteng correctional centres, South Africa

Abstract

Violent crime is one of the main challenges facing South Africa and its criminal justice system. The transition from apartheid to democracy during 1994 brought with it an influx of a large number of foreign nationals who have influenced the social setting. In addition, many companies closed, which caused an increase in the crime rates, particularly in violent crimes, which have often been linked to foreign nationals, specifically those who are undocumented. To understand the background and the demographics of sentenced foreign offenders, this study investigated foreign nationals’ involvement in serious crime through the profiling of those who are incarcerated at selected Gauteng correctional centres. Profiling is a process of observation and reflection during which an attempt is made to answer the basic questions of why, where, when, how and who. In other words, it is a practice aimed at classifying and understanding criminal behaviour, including establishing the offenders’ modus operandi and motivation for the commission of the criminal act. Therefore, to answer the questions in the above definition of profiling, this study examined the demographics of these offenders, causes of border crossing, family risk factors and the causes of and motives for their criminal behaviour. A qualitative research approach was used. Qualitative research explores the meaning of individuals’ experiences and feelings of social and human problems. Therefore, the research approach and the application of case studies utilised in this study enabled the exploration of the phenomenon under investigation through the use of criminal profiles of individual participants’ lived experiences. For data collection, unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 sentenced foreign offenders incarcerated for serious crimes at Baviaanspoort, Kgoši Mampuru, Krugersdorp and Zonderwater Correctional Centres. The participants originated from African countries, namely Angola, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Data was analysed using the narrative data analysis approach which focused on the experiences and articulated life stories of the participants. The participants’ narratives uncovered the causal ideologies engrained in their life experiences. An interpretative paradigm focused on comprehending participants’ lived experiences from “their lenses, through their words”. Moreover, data gathered was constructed through dual layer interpretation analysis. Inductive analysis of participants’ narratives was also supported by relevant integrated multidisciplinary theories to understand the unique and distinctive behavioural patterns of participants’ involvement in violent crimes. Although it is believed that illiteracy contributes to criminality, the majority of the sentenced foreign offenders had a basic, intermediate or advanced education background. The results suggest that many of the participants crossed the borders because of unscrupulous management of South African borders, escaping war in their home countries, poor socio-economic dimensions and a lack of employment opportunities. Based on family risk factors that might be connected to their criminality, the findings demonstrate that there was no relationship between family type and their involvement in criminal activities. It was also demonstrated that serious crimes committed by the participants were not premeditated or planned. A lack of self-control, co-offenders’ influence, poor anger management, unemployment and poverty were the contributory reasons and motives that the participants perceived as guiding their violent criminal behaviour. Generally speaking, the perceptions of the community that foreigners are responsible for violence crimes are unjustifiable as the findings of this study demonstrate that the link between crime and immigration is weak. However, a strong link was established between the lack of proper security measure at our borders, poverty and unemployment in their countries of origin and in South Africa.

Bosenyi jwa tirisodikgoka ke nngwe ya dikgwetlho tse dikgolo tse di lebaneng Aforikaborwa le tsamaiso ya yona ya bosiamisi jwa bosenyi. Kgabaganyo go tswa mo tsamaisong ya tlhaolele go ya kwa temokerasing ka 1994 e tlile ka bontsintsi jwa baditshaba ba ba tlhotlheleditseng seemo sa loago. Go tlaleletsa moo, ditlamo di le dintsi di tswetswe mme seo sa baka koketsego ya seelo sa bosenyi, bogolo segolo bosenyi jwa tirisodikgoka, jo gantsi bo amanngwang le baditshaba, bogolo segolo ba ba se nang dikwalo. Go tlhaloganya lemorago le dipharologantsho tsa batlolamolao ba baditshaba ba ba atlhotsweng, thutopatlisiso eno e batlisisitse seabe sa baditshaba mo bosenying jo bo tseneletseng ka go dira porofaele ya ba ba golegilweng kwa ditikwatikweng tse di tlhophilweng tsa kgopololo kwa Gauteng. Go dira porofaele ke tirego ya go ela tlhoko le go sekaseka e mo go yona go dirwang maiteko a go araba dipotso tsa motheo tsa goreng, kae, leng, jang le mang. Ka mantswe a mangwe, ke tiragatso e maikaelelo a yona e leng go aroganya le go tlhaloganya maitsholo a bosenyi, go akarediwa mokgwa wa tiragatso wa motlolamolao le tshusumetso ya go diragatsa bosenyi. Ka jalo, go araba dipotso tse di mo tlhalosong e e fa godimo ya go dira porofaele, thutopatlisiso e sekasekile dipharologantsho tsa batlolamolao bano, mabaka a go tlola molelwane, dintlha tsa matshosetsi a lelapa le sebaki sa maitsholo a bona a bosenyi. Go dirisitswe mokgwa o o lebelelang mabaka mo patlisisong. Patlisiso e e lebelelang mabaka e tlhotlhomisa bokao jwa maitemogelo a motho le maikutlo a mathata a loago le a botho. Ka jalo, mokgwa wa patlisiso le tiriso ya thutopatlisiso ya kgetsi e e dirisitsweng mo thutopatlisisong di kgontshitse tlhotlhomiso ya tiragalo e e batlisisiwang ka tiriso ya diporofaele tsa bosenyi tsa maitemogelo a nnete a bannileseabe. Go kokoanya data, go dirilwe dipotsolotso tse di boteng tse di sa rulaganang le batlolamolao ba baditshaba ba le 17 ba ba atlhotsweng mme ba golegetswe bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng kwa Ditikwatikweng tsa Kgopololo tsa Baviaanspoort, Kgosi Mampuru, Krugersdorp le Zonderwater. Bannileseabe ba tswa kwa dinageng tsa Aforika, e leng Angola, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Tanzania le Zimbabwe. Go lokolotswe data go dirisiwa mokgwa wa tokololo ya data wa kanelo o o totileng maitemogelo le dikgang tse di tlotlilweng tsa botshelo jwa bannileseabe. Dikanelo tsa bannileseabe di senotse megopolo ya sebako e e jaleletsweng mo maitemogelong a bona a botshelo. Molebo wa thanolo o ne o totile go tlhaloganya maitemogelo a go tshela a bannileseabe go ya ka "molebo wa bona, ka mafoko a bona". Mo godimo ga moo, data e e kokoantsweng e rulagantswe ka tokololo ya thanolo ya maalo a mabedi. Tokololo e e sekasekang data ya dikanelo tsa bannileseabe e ne ya tshegediwa gape ke ditiori tse di golaganeng tsa maphatamantsi go tlhaloganya maitsholo a a kgethegileng le a a itshupang a seabe sa bannileseabe mo bosenying jwa tirisodikgoka. Le fa go dumelwa gore go tlhoka kitso ya go kwala le go buisa go tshwaela mo bosenying, bontsi jwa batlolamolao ba ba golegilweng ba baditshaba ba na le lemorago la thuto ya motheo, e e magareng gongwe e e tsweletseng. Dipholo di tlhalosa gore bontsi jwa bannileseabe ba kgabagantse melelwane ka ntlha ya botsamaisi jo bo sokameng jwa melelwane ya Aforikaborwa, go tshabela dintwa kwa dinageng tsa bona, maemo a a bokoa a ikonomi-loago le go tlhaela ga ditshono tsa go thapiwa. Fa go lebelelwa dintlha tsa matshosetsi a lelapa a a ka neng a golagane le bosenyi jwa bona, diphitlhelelo di bontsha gore ga go na kamano magareng ga mofuta wa lelapa le seabe sa bona mo ditirong tsa bosenyi. Gape go bontshitswe gore bosenyi jo bo tseneletseng jo bo dirilweng ke bannileseabe bo ne bo sa akanyediwa pele gongwe go rulaganngwa. Go tlhoka go itaola, tlhotlheletso ya batlolamolaommogo, go se kgone go laola maikutlo, botlhokatiro le khumanego e nnile mabaka a a tshwaelang a bannileseabe ba tsayang a kaetse maitsholo a bona a bosenyi jwa tirisodikgoka. Ka kakaretso, mogopolo wa baagi wa gore baditshaba ba rwele maikarabelo a bosenyi jwa tirisodikgoka ga o na motheo gonne diphitlhelelo tsa thutopatlisiso eno di bontsha gore kgolagano magareng ga bosenyi le bofudugedi e bokoa. Le gale go bonwe kgolagano e e maatla magareng ga tlhaelo ya dikgato tse di siameng tsa tshireletso kwa melelwaneng ya rona, lehuma le botlhokatiro kwa dinageng tsa bona le Aforikaborwa.

Ubugebengu obuhambisana nodlame bungenye yezinselelo ezibhekene neNingizimu Afrika kanye nohlelo lwabo lwezobulungisa kwezobugebengu. Ukuguquka kwesimo ukusukela kumbuso wengcindezelo (apartheid) ukuya embusweni wentando yeningi (democracy) ngonyaka ka 1994 sekwenze ukuba kube nenani eliphezulu labantu abangamaphandle abangenayo, okungabantu abaguqule isizinda sabantu. Ukwengeza kulokho, izinkampani eziningi zivaliwe, okuyisimo esidala ukukhula kwezinga lobugebengu, ikakhulu ubugebengu obuhambisana nodlame, obukade buhlobene nabantu abayizakhamuzi zangaphandle, ikakhulukazi lawo maphandle angenawo amaphepha ayimvumo yokuhlala. Ukuzwisisa umlando kanye namademografiki weziboshwa eziphuma emazweni angaphandle, lolu cwaningo beluphenya ukubandakanyeka kwamaphandle kumacala obugebengu amabi ngokwakha isithombe salabo ababoshwe kumajele akhethiwe asesifundazweni saseGauteng. Ukwakha isithombe somuntu wuhlelo lokubhekisisa kanye nokucabangisisa ngesikhathi lapho kwenziwa umzamo wokuphendula imibuzo esemqoka yokuthi kungani, kuphi, nini, kanjani nokuthi ngubani. Ngamanye amagama, kuyingqubo ehlose ukwehlukanisa kanye nokuzwisisa izenzo zokuziphatha njengesiboshwa, kuxuba phakathi ukwakha isithombe sendlela yokwenza izinto yeziboshwa kanye nokugqugquzela ukuthi umthetho udlale indima yokulwa nobugebengu. Ngakho-ke, ukuphendula imibuzo yencazelo engenhla yokwakhiwa kwesithombe, lolu cwaningo luhlola amademografiki amayelana nalawa mabanjwa, abandakanyeka ekweqiweni kwemikhawulo, imithelela engafaka umndeni engozini kanye nezimbangela kanye nezizathu zokuziphatha kwawo ngendlela yobugebengu. Indlela yocwaningo olwencike kwingxoxo (qualitative research) lusetshenzisiwe. Ucwaningo lwe-Qualitative luhlola incazelo yolwazi lwabantu kanye nemizwa yezinkinga zabantu kanye nezobuntu. Ngakho-ke, indlela yocwaningo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezinhlelo zocwaningo lotho ezisetshenziswe kulolu cwaningo kusize uhlelo lokuhlola lolu daba ngaphansi kophenyo ngokusebenzisa izithombe zobugebengu ezakhiwe, okuyizithombe ezichaza impilo yomdlalindima ngamunye. Mayelana nokuqoqa idatha, izinhlolovo ezingahlelekile ezijulile zenziwe ngamabanjwa angamaphandle ayi-17 agwetshiwe, okungamabanjwa enze amacala amabi emajele ase-Baviaanspoort, Kgoši Mampuru, Krugersdorp kanye nase-Zonderwater Correctional Centres. Abadlalindima abadabuka emazweni ase-Afrika, wona yilawa; Angola, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Tanzania kanye naseZimbabwe. Idatha iye yahlaziywa ngokusebenzisa uhlelo lokuhlaziya ingxoxo (narrative data analysis) ebeyigxile phezu kwezehlakalo zempilo kanye nezindatshana zempilo ebezixoxwa ngabadlalindima. Izindatshana zabadlalindima zivumbulule izinkolombono (ideologies) eziqukethwe wulwazi lwempilo abayiphilile. Uhlelo lokuchaza, phecelezi (An interpretative paradigm) belugxile phezu kokuzwisisa izinto okuhlangabezenwe empilweni “their lenses, through their words”. Ngaphezu kwalokho, idatha eqoqiwe yakhiwa ngokusebenzisa uhlelo lokuhlaziya oluncwambambili. Uhlelo lwe-Inductive analysis lwezingxoxo zabadlalindima nalo futhi luxhaswe ngamathiyori afanele ahlangene ezifundo eziningi ukuzwisisa amaphetheni angajwayelekile okuziphatha, okubandakanyeka kwabadlalindima kwizenzo zobugebengu obuhambisana nodlame. Yize lokhu kuyinto ekholwekayo ukuthi izinga lokuswela imfundo lube negalelo kubugebengu, ubuningi bamabanjwa angamaphandle avalelwe bebenomlando wemfundo eyisisekelo, emaphakathi kanye nemfundo ethuthukile. Le miphumela iphakamisa ukuthi iningi labadlalindima lenqa imingcele ngenxa yokuphathwa ngobudedengu kwemingcele yaseNingizimu Afrika, bebaleka izimpi emazweni akubo, bebaleka izimo ezimbi zenhlalakahle yezomnotho kanye nokusweleka kwamathuba omsebenzi. Ngenxa yemithelela yobungozi leyo engahlobana nobugebengu obenziwa yibo, ulwazi olutholiwe lukhombisa ukuthi bekungekho ukuhlobana phakathi kwenhlobo yomndeni kanye nokubandakanyeka kwayo ezenzweni zobugebengu. Lokhu futhi kukhombise ukuthi amacala amabi obugebengu enziwe abadlalindima akenziwanga ngenhloso noma akahleliwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi. Ukwehluleka ukuzibamba, umthelela wabancedisi bobugebengu, uhlelo olubi lokulawulwa kwezenzo ezinolunya, ukusweleka komsebenzi kanye nobubha kubonakele njengezizathu ezinomthelela kanti futhi kuyizisusa lezo abadlalindima abazizwisisa njengezinkomba eziholela kwizenzo zobugebengu obuhamba nodlame. Empeleni ukubeka inkulumo ezwakalayo, imiqondo yomphakathi yokuthi amaphandle athinteka kwizenzo zobugebengu obuhambisana nodlame, kuyimiqondo engenabo ubufakazi njengoba ulwazi olutholakele balolu cwaningo lukhombisa ukuthi ukuhlobana okuphakathi kobugebengu kanye nabantu abavela emazweni angaphandle kuyinkolelo engenalo iqiniso. Yize-kunjalo, kuye kwaba khona ukuhlobana okuqinile phakathi kokusweleka kwezinhlelo ezifanele zokuvikela imikhawulo yethu, ububha kanye nokusweleka kwemisebenzi emazweni abadabuka kiwo kanye naseNingizimu Afrika.