WRITTEN QUESTION E-1683/01

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Lack of security in South Africa: attacks against the Portuguese community

The way in which the apartheid regime was brought to an end in South Africa and the entire process of transition and the creation of democratic institutions in recent years has been widely recognised at international level. This is reflected in the prominent position occupied by Nelson Mandela and the admiration and respect for the example set by him. It is not our intention to question his role.

However, recent years have seen a wave of violent crime which is apparently linked to severe social problems and has seriously disrupted South African society. Parts of the Portuguese community in South Africa, which is mainly involved in running small businesses, have been particularly affected.

Another Portuguese citizen running a small business, Noel Bernardo Nunes, who was 65 and had been living in South Africa for 40 years, was murdered in Cape Town last weekend. This brings the number of Portuguese residents murdered since the beginning of the year to ten. According to press reports a total of 388 Portuguese citizens have died in this wave of violent crime during the past four years, the Johannesburg area being particularly badly hit.

The justified alarm which these attacks have caused among the Portuguese community led it to take to the streets some months ago to demand proper protection. However, owing to a series of misunderstandings on the part of some sections of the South African Government, this initiative regrettably resulted in controversy. Even though this is clearly a politically sensitive matter, it is essential that effective action be taken to guarantee the safety and protect the lives of individuals.

These Portuguese citizens are also citizens of the European Union, which is in a good position to intervene with the South African authorities and indeed to offer them the necessary assistance.

Will the Commission monitor the worsening situation as regards violent crime in South Africa, which has led to the deaths of so many Portuguese residents and has caused justified alarm? What steps has it taken and will it take vis-à-vis the South African Government in this connection?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(7 September 2001)

The European Commission follows the situation in South Africa closely, including criminality. It feels that the high crime rate is a threat to South African citizens and foreigners including Union citizens in the country. It also fears the crime situation could affect the country's reputation abroad, discourage foreign investment and have a detrimental effect on the economy as a whole.

The Commission has expressed this view vis-à-vis the South African authorities on a number of informal occasions, either in contacts with visitors from the country or through it's Delegation in Pretoria.

Although the current Multi-annual indicative programme does not concentrate on crime prevention as a focal sector, the Commission believes that an improvement in the social and economic situation of the country will have positive effects on the crime situation. The EU development policy will contribute to this. In the past, the Commission has funded two programmes for support to the South African police force, one of which is still ongoing.

A summary description of this ongoing programme is sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.