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Caravan for Peace Advocates Against Crime in the SADC Region

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Environment Policy BriefNo.5:Access to Justice in the Water Act and Environment Management Bill
Democracy Factfile, Seychelles

   Globally, the increasing problem of crime has moved to the top of the political agenda. In southern Africa, the rate of burglaries and violent crimes such as murder, rape and child abuse has increased and levels of economic crime and corruption have reached worrying proportions.

    There is also evidence of serious cross-border organised crime, including armed robberies, car hijacking, and drug trafficking.

    For the past four decades, the region has experienced serious socio-political upheavals, caused by colonial oppression and consequent liberation struggles, foreign intervention by cold war antagonists, the struggle against apartheid aggression and inappropriate economic policies.

    The region has been fighting against a colonial structure which denied people peace in the land of their birthright. Now the region is liberated, but new challenges emerge as countries fight various forms of violent crime.

    It is against this background that the African Caravan For Peace and Solidarity visited the region in an effort to campaign for peace and to promote a culture of non-violence.

    The touring party, which is scheduled to visit central, west, north and east Africa between June this year and June 2001, started off at Robben Island, South Africa, on 26 June, the anniversary of the 1955 South African Freedom Charter.

    It was at the island where the first handful of soil was tossed into the drum, the emblem of the caravan. The idea of the soil is to emphasis the link between the various sub-regions and the unity of Africa.

    "We seek to sustain and strengthen peace throughout Africa," said David Gakunzi, co-coordinator of the peace caravan.

    Its objectives include highlighting and exposing the positive activities taking place in the region and promoting peace on the continent through workshops, public lectures, drama and theater, sport and dialogue among others, by identifying themes that relate to the different African regions.

    "People are fed up with politics. They are interested in issues such as jobs, shelter and social security," said Gakunzi.

    While political stability and democratisation within the region gathers pace, socio-economic progress remains characterised by stagnation, high rates of unemployment and deepening impoverishment. It is often within a context of extreme misery, deprivation and despair that the most heinous crimes are committed.

    Along its route, the African Caravan will be marked by social and cultural events as well as debate and reflection on various issues of a particular sensitive nature to the continent.

    As part of its mission, the caravan held debates with youth on how they can help themselves and avoid being caught up in criminal activities. They conducted workshops on how to combat crime and promote peace in the region.

    The activists say the reason for the high crime rate in the region is because of the high unemployment rate, where the majority of the youth are not working and they spend their time on streets.

    "Once there is a high level of crime, people feel insecure and have no peace at all," said Chris Moloko, a youth representative from South Africa.

    The southern African group will meet in Maputo in October 2000 to come up with a southern African Charter for Peace, to be incorporated into the African Charter for Peace, which will be developed into a plan of action and be implemented in the different countries that the caravan has visited.