Browsing by Author "Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin."

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Correctional officials perceptions on male sexual assault in Westville Correctional Centre: an exploratory study.
(2018) Mthethwa, Nomathamsanqa.; Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin.
In correctional centres different types of sexual interactions and relationships occur between male offenders, most of these sexual interactions are commonly abusive, exploitative, and involves various degrees of coercion. Unlike males in the general community, literature show that males in correctional centres are disproportionately vulnerable to male sexual assault. Male offenders’ vulnerability to sexual assault is exacerbated by various factors including overcrowding, gang activity and lack of supervision. Correctional officials play a major role in the daily lives of offenders; significantly they influence the structure, culture, activities in correctional centres and are responsible for the safeguarding of offenders against offences such as male sexual assault. Nevertheless, correctional officials who hold negative perceptions /attitudes towards male sexual assault fail to effectively respond and manage incidents of sexual assault in the correctional centre. The focus of this study was on the perceptions of correctional officials on sexual assault amongst the male offenders in Westville Correctional Centre. The following were the objectives of the study: To explore awareness of male sexual assault between offenders among correctional officials in Durban, Westville Correctional Centre, South Africa; to explore the perceptions of correctional officials towards male sexual assault between male offenders in Westville Correctional Centre; to identify the current strategies that are in place to address male sexual assault in Westville Correctional Centre. The study employed a qualitative research approach to explore and describe the perceptions of officials, data was obtained through semi- structured interviews. The data was collected from a sample of 8 correctional officials from medium A- D, by using a purposive sampling technique. The collected data were transcribed and analysed through thematic analysis, which was used to develop themes that emerged. The findings depicted that correctional officials from Westville Correctional Centre are aware of the occurrence of male sexual assault in their respective mediums through reported cases. The study also found correctional officials view that in correctional centres it is possible for a male to be sexually assaulted and even though the correctional centres can implement strategies to curb male sexual assault, male offenders will always find an opportunity to commit this sexual offence.
A criminological examination of the use of cyberspace to traffic drugs in Durban, South Africa.
(2018) Nihal, Trevonia.; Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin.
This study focused on the use of cyberspace to traffic drugs in Durban, South Africa. The study comprised four objectives, which were: to determine how cyberspace is used as a tool to traffic drugs in Durban, South Africa; to determine the beneficiaries of online drug trafficking; to investigate the current laws and policies that South Africa has in place to combat drug trafficking via cyberspace and to determine which drugs are most likely to be sold online. The study employed an exploratory research design with a qualitative research method. The data was collected from a sample consisting of eight respondents by using the purposive sampling technique. The researcher collected data using semi-structured interviews and the collected data was analysed through thematic content analysis. The findings depicted that cyberspace is used as a tool to traffic drugs in Durban by providing cyberspace users with the platform to engage in unlimited and secure communication. The use of Virtual Private Networks and The Onion Ring makes it exceptionally difficult to trace cybercriminals. The study found that the youth benefit the most from drugs being available online. The Cybersecurity Bill is believed to be the most recent development in South Africa’s legislature to combat online drug trafficking. Cocaine and ecstasy were identified as the drugs most likely to be sold online. The researcher recommends that there needs to be more awareness around cybercrime and, more particularly, drug trafficking via cyberspace. In addition, law enforcement officers should be provided with more training in order that they are equipped to handle drug trafficking via cyberspace in Durban effectively and efficiently.
An exploratory study on electricity theft in Staram informal settlement in Tongaat in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province.
(2019) Khwela, Hlengiwe.; Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin.
This study focussed on electricity theft in Staram, an informal settlement in Tongaat, Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal. Staram was chosen as the study site as the Tongaat area has been identified as a ‘hot spot’ for electricity theft in Durban. The objectives of the study were to (i) explore the causes of electricity theft in Staram and (ii) assess the nature of electricity theft in Staram; (iii) examine the challenges of responding to electricity theft in Staram; and (iv) evaluate the current preventative measures employed for mitigating electricity theft in Staram. Staram is divided into three sections: Endliniyomlilo, Harry and Eziweni, and the study covered all these sections. At the time of the study, Endliniyomlilo was electrified and about 12 houses had maintained their electricity; the other two sections did not have electricity. For this study, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were employed for data collection. This study consisted of 15 participants who were chosen on the basis that in-depth data via in-depth interviews could be elicited in order to achieve all the objectives. Five participants were selected from each of the three sections. They were chosen because they were residents in the area of study as well as victims and/or perpetrators of electricity theft. The data were collected in February 2017. This study was informed by Beccaria (1767) Rational Choice Theory (RCT), Shaw and McKay’s (1942) Social Disorganisation Theory (SDT), and the Chicago School of Criminology’s (1942) Economic Theory. This study used RCT and SDT in understanding the manner in which people engage themselves in electricity theft. The Economic Theory was used to understand the causes of electricity theft, as it is argues that criminal acts are committed in instances where the amount of gain from a crime is greater than the costs expected, while also being concerned with how society utilises its scarce resources (Becker, 1968:820). It is important to understand that electricity theft is a global problem and it has a negative impact not only on human but also economic terms. This study determined that electricity theft affects everyone, physically endangers people’s lives and socially, can cause an overload of the network, which can result in unplanned outages. As such, electricity theft can negatively affect the smooth operation of traffic lights, business practices or the emergency services such as hospitals and affects the economy and puts undue strain on the municipality and the government revenue.
Exploring the perceptions of homosexuals on the role played by the South African Police Service on crimes experienced by gays and lesbians in Durban.
(2018) Mkhize, Simangele.; Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin.
This study focused on the perceptions of homosexuals and lesbians regarding the role of the police in investigating crimes that were committed against them in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. In particular, the study explored the experiences of gays and lesbians who had been victims of various type of crime due to their sexuality or sexual orientation. The objectives were, to explore which types of crimes were committed against gays and lesbians, to determine the reasons why homosexuals tend not to report crimes committed against them to the South African Police Service (SAPS), and to explore the perceptions of homosexuals on the efforts of the SAPS in dealing with crimes reported by gays and lesbians. To elicit data the study used a qualitative research method. A sample of 15 participants (7 gay men and 8 lesbian women) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban was purposively selected. The researcher employed in-depth interviews as the primary data collection method and the data were analysed by means of a thematic analysis process. This involved the identification of themes as they emerged from participants’ responses. The findings revealed strong tendencies among communities to victimise gays and lesbians due to their sexuality. Most respondents admitted that they chose not to report such crimes to the police due to reasons such as lack of trust in the police, the fear that the police would not take their cases seriously, shame, blaming themselves for the crimes, and the fear that their families would find out that they were homosexual. The findings also showed that gay and lesbian victims who reported crimes to the police felt that the police did not take their cases seriously, as they would be asked questions that were not helpful but showed a homophobic attitude on the side of the police. The study thus recommends that the police should obtain training in order to be able to understand and deal fairly and more professionally when crime is reported by gay and lesbian victims even if they are personally, culturally or religiously against homosexuality. Laws should be establish that deal specifically with crimes that are motivated by hate or dislike of a person based on their sexuality or sexual orientation in order to address these crimes in a humane and thorough manner and within legal parameters. Furthermore, communities should be educated about homosexuality in order for them to not see it as abnormal but as a manifestation of people’s right to diversity.
The policing of rural and urban crimes: a case study of the Msinsini and Umbilo policing precincts in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2018) Shabane, Sanele Errol.; Maluleke, Witness.; Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin.
The SAPS crime statistics for 2016 financial year indicates an increase and a decrease in various crime causations as compared to the past year (2015). According to this data, crime in South Africa decreased between 2015 and 2016, with 2.1 million crimes reported in 12 months measured. Notably, all general categories of crime decreased, except for contact crimes which remained “stubborn’. The SAPS 2016 statistics were compiled in conjunction with Statistics South Africa results to ensure that the process was subject to the tightest quality control. This came after criticism in 2015 that the police statistics were unaudited, bringing it into question its reliability and validity. The biggest crime category to increase over the past year (2015) was robbery of Cash-In-Transit (CIT) vehicles, though this is off a relatively low base. Between April 2014 and March 2015 financial years, there were 119 reported cases of these robberies – in the April 2015 to March 2016 period, this jumped 15.1% to 137 cases. For the purpose of this study, a sheer number of crimes were reported and the biggest increase was in cases of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which saw 7,598 more cases reported in 2016. General theft and drug-related crimes remain the biggest problems in the country, with over 340,000 and just under 260,000 reported crimes in those categories respectively, though this is an improvement from 2015. Break-ins at residential properties is the third biggest crime in the country, with over a quarter of a million cases. In response to these crimes, the local SAPS (Msinsini and Umbilo Police Stations) in executing their duties on preventing and combating of crimes have faced various challenges as to serve the citizens of South Africa in protecting them from crime. This was discussed through the analysis of the types of crimes occurring in the selected rural area as compared to the urban city of Durban, KZN; the policing challenges of crimes occurring in these areas and; the crime prevention strategies of policing crimes in the areas of study. The prevailing recommendations for effective policing strategies in contemporary South Africa are also discussed. This study has adopted a qualitative research approach, which allows the researcher to uncover salient issues that can later be studied using more structured methods. This study has used exploratory research design to respond to the study objectives and research questions and to provide an in-depth understanding of SAPS members’ perceptions on this subject. The findings of this study provide that the police officials in the rural (Msinsini policing precinct) and urban (Umbilo policing precinct) are both experiencing various challenges such as lack of adequate resources, shortage of police members, lack of adequate vehicles and vehicles that suit the demographic settings of the policing area in order to prevent the crime activities in their policing precincts. The prevailing recommendations of this study based on participants’ responses relate to the hiring of more police members, providing the police with current resources and training methods, which can accommodate the current South African standard of living characterised by technological advancements, societal disorganisation, and the supply of vehicles that suit the environment of the area.
Theft or norm? A tale of electricity theft in rural Kwaximba, eThekwini region of South Africa.
(2023-10-30) Akpan, Udoh James.; Mbanjwa, Thobile.; Mkhize, Sazelo Michael.; Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin.; Makheye, Mandisa Samkelisiwe.
The focus of this study was on the investigation of the prevalence of illegal electricity connections in KwaXimba. The study aimed to identify the root causes of illegal connections and explore potential solutions to reduce their occurrence. A qualitative research approach was adopted, and 20 participants were interviewed from rural areas in KwaXimba. Thematic analysis was applied to the data collected. The study revealed that illegal electricity connections were commonplace in the community, with individuals making personal decisions to engage in the activity. Some individuals inherited homes with pre-existing illegal connections. The study recommends implementing an electrification program to reduce illegal consumption of electricity and to prevent harm to vulnerable community members such as children. Organizations such as Eskom and community safety should work together to develop programs aimed at discouraging the normalization of illegal electricity connections in KwaXimba and other communities.
A victimological analysis of physically disabled children as victims of violence in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
(2018) Sibanyoni, Ephraim Kevin.; Singh, Shanta Balgobind.
This study focused on a victimological analysis of physically disabled children as victims of violence in the Eastern Cape. The researcher proposed four objectives for the purpose of the study as follows: to explore forms of violence these physically disabled children experience in the Eastern Cape; to determine if physically disabled children are the victims of violence due to their disability in the Eastern Cape; to determine the effects of violence these physically disabled children experience in the Eastern Cape; and to explore whether the violence experienced by physically disabled children is reported to the criminal justice system in the Eastern Cape. The total sampling size for the purpose of this study was one-hundred and ten (110) respondents. Broadly, the research sample comprised of 100 physically disabled children from two special need schools (50 from each) based in the Eastern Cape and 10 officials (caregivers) from both special need schools, each contributing 5 respondents. These 100 physically disabled child respondents had to satisfy the following conditions: reside in a special needs school hostel in the Eastern Cape, be between the ages of 12-18 years, and be physically disabled and from any racial and socio-economic group. Caregivers were selected based on years of experience working with disabled children. These respondents were chosen according to their knowledge of the research content and their experience in the context studied. For this study, the researcher made use of two sampling techniques i.e. accidental sampling for selecting physically disabled respondents and purposive sampling for selecting caregivers of the physically disabled children. Accidentally means that any physically disabled child who is willing to meet with the researcher and has any knowledge of the research topic will be included in the sample until saturation is reached. Thus, research participants were selected based on their availability and willingness to take part in the research (Gravetter and Forzano, 2003: 125; Strydom and Venter, 2002:207). Purposive sampling was employed in selecting all caregiver’s respondents. The researcher chose this technique of sampling because it helped in choosing the most relevant or knowledgeable respondents with regard to the topic under study. The researcher used triangulation when collecting data. The researcher used a questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The questionnaires were used to source the data from the physically disabled children whilst the in-depth interviews were used to collect data from the caregivers. The collected data from the respondents was analysed by using SPSS Version 22 and thematically where narrative writing was utilised. Findings: the study finds that most physically disabled children under study experienced various forms of violence/abuse such as rape, sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, and neglect. The study finds that, these physically disabled children are victimized due to their disability. Their disability conditions makes them vulnerable to victimization. The study also finds that these physically disabled children succumbed to severe long-term effects because of their victimization. The abuse they experienced have had long-term damaging effects. The study further finds that, most of the abuse/crime committed against these children are not reported to the police. In turn, the perpetrators are not subjected to the criminal justice processes. The study also finds that these children prefer to report the abuse to their teachers than to other individuals. Recommendation: The researcher recommends that future researchers might need to conduct research on victimization of physically disabled children in public transport. The current study protruded that there is somewhat victimization of physically disabled children occurring in public transport. As this was not the focus of the study, other researchers might wish to expand on this phenomenon. Further research is needed to investigate bullying occurring in special needs school, where physically disabled children bully each other. The findings of the study indicated the prevalence of bullying between physically disabled children, however more insight of the phenomenon is needed. Lastly, other researchers might explore the attempt of infanticide of infants with disabilities because of their disabilities. The present study found existing relationships between abuses of physically disabled due to their disabilities; however, there is limited knowledge on infanticide of physically disabled children because of their disability. Researchers can expand on this phenomenon by using a bigger sample size.