Poverty is as a result of crime. While it is not a topic that is usually argued, it can be stated true. One example would be that when a thief enters into a house of an average paid man and steals their belongings, the man goes deeper into poverty. This essay discusses how crime impedes economic growth, the impact of criminals that target the most vulnerable of people, and how apartheid plays a role in shaping people’s lives.
Crime can impede economic growth in South Africa, and this has several effects on the economy. For example, unemployment is still a massive problem in South Africa (Ranchhod, 2019) as the rate sits at 27,1% (Stats SA, 2019), which is immense compared to other countries (Ventura, 2018). One other effect is loss of investment. Investors may not want to spend money in a country where it has one of the highest crime rates in the world (BusinessTech, 2017). Therefore, as investment decreases, economy growth decreases.
Criminals do target the most vulnerable of people, as crime has an effect on poverty in many ways. For example, when someone steals money from another person who already has financial issues, that person gets forced into poverty. Another example is the poor management of South Africa’s government, and many locals can agree to that (BusinessTech, 2015). As more of the government money is spent on personal items for the higher-ranking officers, the less money is spent on the poor.
Apartheid had a massive impact on all South Africans’ lives. While it has ended in 1994, a number of inequalities that remained needed significant changes in the country’s policies (Shaw, 1995:217-218). One example is the BBBEE policy where previously disadvantaged groups become empowered to enhance the economy. Firms have stated that crime has an impact on economic development (Ikejiaku, 2009:455-446). For example, when protests occur due to a lack of basic services in certain areas, the country can lose direct investment.
Poverty is as a result of crime, whether people know it or not. The points discussed in the essay clearly proved that it was the case. Based on how crime had and still has massive repercussions on the people of South Africa, a large amount of effort is needed for the country to truly transform into the “Rainbow Nation” Nelson Mandela envisioned.
Bibliography
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