Publication

This monograph assesses the rural safety capacity that will be lost following the closing of the South African National Defence Force's Territorial Reserve (known as "Commandos"). The author discusses how the South African Police Service will fill the gap, and presents three case studies. The paper examines whether the Commandos are representative of rural South Africa, and argues that when deployed inappropriately, Commandos can be destructive of social harmony. The author also notes that the policing of agricultural crimes is likely to deteriorate.