This section of the interviewing process played a very significant role as it unfolds what really the problem behind the high rates of crime in Tongaat is. Causes in this area may go to the extent as to explain the reasons for human delinquent behaviour and provide possible solutions to such a problem.
5.3.1. Unemployment and Poverty
100 percent of the participants who participated in the interviews made it quite clear that the first and most prominent cause of crime is the issue of unemployment. With regard to the information obtained from participants, people commit serious crimes to earn much more money and get rid of the poor situation they are currently faced with. The participant Nomzansi corroborated this statement by saying the following:
“Tongaat has many people making unemployment high too”….There are no jobs and people need money to sustain their families”.
“---There are also habitat offenders who steal just to live and sustain their families”.
The above assertions prove that as much as Tongaat is a small area, people in this area also suffer the disadvantage of not earning enough, thereby leaving a good number of the community dwellers to commit crimes so as to satisfy their basic needs for survival. The issue of unemployment goes hand in hand with that of poverty as it is also outlined as a serious cause of crime. The trend of poverty in the area propagates unusual criminals such as habitual criminals who only steal to live. Also the above supports the statement made by Anthony (2012) in the literature who emphasized the fact that crime is rife due to unemployment and poverty where people commit crimes just because of that. This boils down to the social conflict theory mentioned in the literature which indicates that people commit crimes due to the imbalance in power between the rich and poor communities. A response to support the above statement is made by Nthabiseng who said:
“People in this area commit crime to support their drug addict habits”.
Drug abuse remains a worrying and trigger factor of crime in the community of Tongaat. These drug addicts are said to be committing crimes to obtain money for their next ‘fix’. Participants have made it quite clear that young persons are much responsible for the escalating crime rates in Tongaat community.
The above statement may be easily linked to the sociological approaches mentioned in the literature review section of this study, explaining how crime is caused among individuals. In this approach, crime is said to be influenced mainly by an individual’s external factors such as neighbours, peer group as well as the family. Drug abuse in Tongaat is said to be sourced from an individual’s peer team, once they fail to support their drug addiction, these individuals turn to criminal acts such as pick-pocketing and shoplifting so as to sustain their drug addiction and be able to purchase their next fix.
“Young people are not educated in their homes of the importance of education which is why it’s easy for them to drop out and engage in crime”.
Education is perceived as the key to a bright future in South Africa and is the most basic right every individual should get as a privilege to achieve a goal in life. In the case of Tongaat, education as well as educational opportunities are lack in the area, making it also impossible for people, particularly young people to continue with their educational pursuits that will fetch a better future with a decent pay cheque. However, an individual who has no interest in educational goals is said to be much more prone to delinquent behaviour.
Further interviews with Londiwe unfolded another cause of crime in Tongaat community: She expressed that:
“Economic opportunities are not there in Tongaat, there is a lack of sporting and recreational activities, and the lack of training for the youth who have passed matric thus, this makes it easy for the youth to engage in criminal activities”.
The above statement makes it obvious that Tongaat is a less developed area, judging from the fact that it lacks basic infrastructure such as tertiary education and other facilities needed to maintain a good life. This statement also makes it quite open that people are much more prone to engaging themselves in criminal activities because they have nothing to do during the day , which is why they engage in crime as a form of ‘keeping themselves occupied’.
It is not something new that the causal factors of crime in this area are poverty and unemployment. However, the above expressions from the various participants suggest that young people of the area are much responsible for the erupting crime rates. These crimes include petty crimes such as pick pocketing, break-in, as well as shoplifting which allows for these young people to gain access to ‘fast cash’ which they use for their desired needs. An empirical finding in support of these assertions is expressed in the statements of the following participants namely Luvuyo and Nandipha:
“The causes of crime in Tongaat is because of the lack of unemployment in a way that people need money to sustain their families”.
The above responses may be an indication of supporting the choices theory where people are given the choice whether to commit and not to commit crime and by looking at the rewards they might obtain, they choose to commit that criminal offence.