Why We Kill - Mob Justice And The New Vigilantism In South Africa (Paperback)

Why do so many South Africans prefer taking the law into their own hands to relying on the police? Why are those who do so often cheered or sympathised with?

Of the unprecedented 27 000 recorded murders in South Africa in 2022, at least 1 894 – or 7 per cent – were attributed to mob justice and vigilantism, more than double the number from five years before. In the first nine months of 2023, a further 1 472 mob justice deaths had already been registered.

Mob justice is nothing new, but in recent years it has taken on an undeniably desperate, furious edge. From the breathtakingly violent Zandspruit massacre in May 2021, to the killings during the July unrest two months later, to the march of Operation Dudula across the nation in 2022, vigilantism – and the condoning of it – has never before captured the zeitgeist of South Africa so sharply. What has changed in the past few years, and what does it augur for the future?

Following three recent cases of mob justice, from the hellish metropolitan townships of Gauteng to the far-flung bushveld of northern Limpopo, and drawing on extensive research and interviews, Why We Kill explores the roots, realities and consequences of South Africa’s current crisis of vigilantism.

General

Imprint:	Penguin Books South Africa
Release date:	March 2024
Authors:	Karl Kemp
Dimensions:	235 x 153 x 29mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
ISBN-13:	978-1-77639-045-8
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Crime & criminology > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social issues > Violence in society > General Books > Local Author Showcase > Lifestyle Books > Promotion > New Reads > Social & Politics
LSN:	1-77639-045-8
Barcode:	9781776390458

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!