Browsing by Author "Hargovan, Hema Keshavlal."

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Community engagement of local space in crime mapping and policing of informal settlements : a study of Cato Crest informal settlement.
(2012) Singh, Shalendra.; Marks, Monique.; Hargovan, Hema Keshavlal.
In any country where there are informal settlements, crime prevention and combat is, to a great extent, determined by the availability of reliable information about crime and about the physical environment in which it occurs. Of equal importance in reducing crime is accurate reporting on the behalf of the public and accurate mapping of crime incidences on the part of the police. Informality makes such information gathering, reporting and mapping extremely challenging. Street level geocoding match rates are lower in informal settlements areas compared to formal urban areas, due to the fact that these areas are unplanned without any road networks or proper address points. To determine the success or otherwise of measures taken to control crime in informal settlements, it is necessary for a system to be in operation whereby crime can be geocoded to a specific location. The integration of community local knowledge with Geographic Information Systems can help populate urban-based geospatial databases for informal settlement crime mapping, and a mental mapping exercise can contribute by the identification of landmarks which can be geocoded. The aim of this research was to establish how community understandings and constructions of their local geography can contribute to ‘official’ police crime mapping and, consequently, to the improvement of policing in informal settlements. In order to achieve this research objective, community ‘mind maps’ were explored through focus groups and these were correlated with police geocoding and mapping systems. The aim here was to explore whether and how these systems can work together in dealing more effectively with crime and in enhancing police-community relations in informal settlement areas. A key finding of this research was that, coming together or integration between community generated mapping information and conventional GIS methodologies, has the potential to completely transform the way in which informal settlements crimes are mapped.
Restorative approaches to criminal justice : an exploratory study in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2008) Hargovan, Hema Keshavlal.; Chetty, Vanitha Rakshana.
Restorative justice, a social movement seeking to introduce reform in the operation of the traditional criminal justice system, has seen a marked proliferation of its initiatives over the last decade in countries like Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Restorative processes are those in which offenders, victims and/or others affected by a crime participate often with the help of a facilitator, in the resolution of matters arising from that crime. Prevailing literature indicates that the intellectual heritage of restorative justice is diverse and rooted in a myriad of theories, beliefs, values and customs. Restorative justice is also used to describe a bewildering range of practices and programmes. While restorative justice draws on existing traditional, indigenous and religious beliefs in dealing with disputes, effective restorative justice practices depend on a well functioning and credible criminal justice system. The current preoccupation with restorative justice by advocates for criminal justice reform is closely related to low levels of access to justice on the part of many South Africans. The extraordinarily high rates of violent crimes in South Africa clearly suggest that restorative justice cannot replace current penal law and procedure. Effective and innovative integration of restorative processes into the formal criminal justice system is just one of the many challenges facing criminal justice systems worldwide. The question that arises is whether restorative processes can and should inform a greater proportion of justice system activity? In answer to this question the present study critically explores the development of the restorative justice paradigm in South Africa both within the criminal justice system, as well as initiatives taking place outside it Since 1994 there have been numerous policies that have sought to incorporate restorative principles. Notwithstanding its growing popularity, its integration into the national criminal justice agenda for reform is fraught with difficulties, both theoretical and practical. The study highlights the difficulties associated with applying restorative approaches in cases of intimate violence against women and children and proposes that the primary focus should be on victim safety and not merely offence seriousness and willingness of the offender or victim to participate. dearly the agenda for implementation and strengthening of restorative practices in the criminal justice system has to go hand in hand with the provision of victim services and support. An integrated, multi-sectoral approach involving collaboration with the relevant government departments is suggested, so that clear strategies may be developed in order that responses may be facilitated from the moment a crime occurs until the final restorative elements have been completed. The study concludes by making recommendations in respect of implementation, policy and law reform, practice guidelines and standards, skills development and training, and curriculum development in the field of restorative justice.
‘Unshared vision’ : decentralisation in Zimbabwe, a special reference to the Harare City Council.
(2016) Masvaure, Steven.; Hargovan, Hema Keshavlal.; Sithole, M. P.
Decentralisation in most African countries is fraught with problems and failures. A few countries in Africa experienced some successes in their pursuit of decentralisation. Several studies on democratic decentralisation have been conducted in the context of one political party controlling both the central state and the decentralised institution, where it is assumed that there is a concordance of vision between the central state and the local decentralised institution. However, a new context of decentralisation is emerging in the African context with opposition political parties capturing the decentralised institutions; thereby creating a disjuncture in vision between the central state and the decentralised institutions. This thesis examined the impact of shared or unshared vision between the local and central government in the event that there are different political parties controlling the two spheres of government. It also examined how service delivery and public participation plays out in the context of ‘unshared vision’. The location of the study was primarily the City of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, where an opposition political party is in power. The main theoretical framework in this study is critical realism. Primary and secondary data was collected from various sources. Primary data was collected through structured and unstructured interviews with various stakeholders in the City of Harare. The key findings of this thesis are that there is ‘unshared vision’ between the decentralised institutions and the central state. This disjuncture in vision is manifested in various contestations between these two spheres of the state; resulting in political battles being prioritised at the expense of services delivery for the residents of the City of Harare. Consequently, the voices of the citizens have been lost. The disjuncture has also resulted in the prime reason for decentralisation, namely; bringing government closer to the people, not being realised. This study contributes to the broad academic debate on decentralisation in situations where there is unshared vision between the local and central state.
Youth diversion for first time offenders : a view from primary caregivers and family members.
(2012) Els, Marlee Louise.; Hargovan, Hema Keshavlal.
In recent years, youth offending has become the subject of widespread public interest and over the past few decades, various child reform movements have taken place. Child justice reform efforts focus on children’s reintegration into their families and communities and the enhancement of prospects for a crime-free life in the future. It is a system that focuses on holding children responsible through restorative justice approaches. The Child Justice Act (75 of 2008) seeks to achieve this balance by reflecting societal concerns and responding reflectively and proportionately to children in the criminal justice system. The Act is based on restorative justice principles and provides the framework for a criminal justice system specifically geared to deal with youth offenders. Section 2 of the Act makes specific provisions for the diversion of children away from the criminal justice system to suitable reintegrative and rehabilitative diversion programmes. Currently diversion programmes are aimed at the youth, with minimal input required from parents and family members. While much has been written and researched about how dysfunctional families can contribute to children turning to crime, the role of parents and families more generally in preventing repeat offending and misbehaviour is under-researched. There is also a dearth of research on the implementation and outcomes of diversion programmes and more specifically on the role of the family before, during, and after the diversion process. An intriguing issue is how parents of children attending a diversion programme view their child’s offending behaviour, the diversion process itself, their involvement in the process, and ways that can be introduced to improve and/or increase their level of involvement. The study found that the majority of the children benefitted from the programme in terms of positive behaviour change and preventing reoffending. Parents who had supported their children during the course of the programme tended to have better relationships with their children, and were able to sustain the outcomes of the programmes more efficiently. This study concludes by making recommendations in respect of how restorative justice values and principles can be adequately incorporated and enhanced through the participation of all children in conflict with the law in Family Group Conferencing.