WRITTEN QUESTION E-0350/02

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Portuguese victims of violent crime in South Africa

The problem of violent crime in South Africa has assumed worrying proportions in the last few years. In 2000 alone around 21 thousand people died as a result of violent incidents, and this number includes not only South African citizens, but also many Europeans, in particular British, Greek, Dutch and Portuguese nationals.

Unfortunately the phenomenon does not seem to be decreasing. Last year, for example, 30 Portuguese citizens lost their lives in South Africa, and there were an average of 20 deaths in both 1999 and 2000. In January this year alone three Portuguese citizens were murdered.

The Portuguese in South Africa in fact constitute one of the largest foreign communities in the country (150 000 people, according to official figures, although there may be even more). It is therefore one of the groups worst affected by the exponential growth in crime, which the South African authorities seem incapable of tackling by themselves.

Can the Commission therefore say whether, and to what extent, it intends to support South Africa and its authorities in combating the problems caused by violent crime and determining the root causes and, above all, what steps it is taking or will take to ensure the safety of Europeans in that country?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(9 April 2002)

The Commission is aware of the high crime rate in South Africa and of the efforts made by the authorities to bring crime figures down without substantial results so far. The Commission feels the situation is one of very serious concern as violence is a threat to the lives of all inhabitants of the country including Union citizens and among them the Portuguese community. Violence also affects the fabric of society itself. In addition, it undermines the country's reputation abroad, discourages foreign investment and has a detrimental effect on the economy as a whole.

The Commission has repeatedly expressed this view to the South African authorities. It feels the South African government is aware of the problem and seems to address it to the best of its ability, taking into account the major challenges and numerous priorities it is confronted with. The Commission believes that the best way to help solve the problem, is to support the South African government's efforts.

However, the Commission believes that it is not within its competence, nor within its possibilities to take specific steps to guarantee the safety of Europeans in South Africa.

Although the current multi-annual indicative programme does not concentrate on crime prevention as a focal sector, the Commission has funded two programmes for support to the South African police force. It supports capacity building in the Department of Justice and also funds trauma centres which in the past dealt with the consequences of apartheid and its institutional violence, but increasingly also deal with the consequences of criminal violence.

Furthermore, it is the Commission's conviction that the root causes of violent crime in South Africa lie in the sequels of apartheid, in the extreme destitution of an important part of the population and in the dramatically unequal distribution of wealth in the country. The whole of its development cooperation programme with South Africa is designed to address these problems.