ABSTRACT

In 2012, the South African and German governments agreed to embark on a co-operative initiative to enhance violence and crime prevention in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. This initiative culminated in the Safety and Peace through Urban Upgrading (SPUU) programme, which was to be implemented in the community of Helenvale in Port Elizabeth. This article presents an interdisciplinary perspective on this initiative to determine its effectiveness in addressing crime, violence, socio-economic and spatial deprivation in the Helenvale community. Helenvale is afflicted by various challenges relating to crime and violence, but the most significant of these is undoubtedly gangsterism. The community has the dubious distinction of being perceived as the centre of gangsterism in the entire city. The importance of space and social marginalisation and the influence of these on violence and crime are explored. The authors employ anthropological, criminological and socio-spatial analytical approaches to interrogate the SPUU initiative, and, where necessary, suggest possible areas for revision or improvement in order to identify alternative ways to improve safety and the quality of life of the Helenvale community.

摘要

2012年，南非和德国政府同意在纳尔逊·曼德拉湾市（Nelson Mandela Bay）开展一项合作倡议，以加强暴力和犯罪预防。该倡议最终通过城市升级实现了安全与和平（SPUU）计划，该计划将在伊丽莎白港的海伦维尔社区实施。本文介绍了此倡议的跨学科观点，以确定其在解决Helenvale社区中的犯罪，暴力，社会经济和空间剥夺方面的有效性。海伦维尔受到与犯罪和暴力有关的各种挑战的困扰，但其中最重要的无疑是黑帮。该社区被视为整个城市的黑帮活动中心，这具有可疑的区别。探索了空间和社会边缘化的重要性及其对暴力和犯罪的影响。作者采用人类学，犯罪学和社会空间分析方法来审视SPUU计划，并在必要时进行调查。