Crime has gripped public discourse in democratic South Africa.1
Cities such as Cape Town, Durban
and Nelson Mandela Bay have some of the highest homicide rates in the world.2
Most South
Africans do not feel safe at night3
nor do they believe government is capable of maintaining law
and order.4
Nationally the picture is bleak. But at the local level, innovative responses to crime are
underway, illustrating the constraints and advantages of community-based interventions. Established
in 2004, the Rebuilding and Life Skills Training Centre (Realistic) is a community-based response
to youth crime in the township of Gugulethu in Cape Town. Using in-depth interviews, this article
presents a case study examining the obstacles faced by young ex-offenders in Gugulethu, and the
impact of Realistic’s aftercare programme on their life path.