Oxford Criminologists Testify at Commission of Inquiry in South Africa

On Friday the 16^th of May, the Centre for Criminology’s Jonny Steinberg and Andrew Faull gave expert evidence before the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry taking place in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Commission was established in August 2012 to investigate allegations of police inefficiency in Khayelitsha and a breakdown in relations between the community and the police. The two Commissioners tasked with leading the inquiry are former Constitutional Court judge and Oxford visiting professor, Kate o’ Regan and former National Prosecuting Authority head, Vusi Pikoli. Steinberg and Faull’s testimonies were the last of the Commission, which will likely release its report in July 2014. The impact of the report on policing in Khayelitsha and South Africa more broadly, have the potential to be far reaching and profound.

In the month prior to testifying, Steinberg and Faull were tasked by the Commission to review particular elements of evidence already presented. Steinberg’s report and testimony covered ways in which the uniformed branch of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has come to police informal settlements over the last 20 years while Faull’s report and testimony reviewed performance measurement in the SAPS in relation to other police agencies. Their testimonies were reported on in Friday’s media  as well as in Cape Town’s Weekend Argus.