South African Police
According to Gallup, the United Nations’ most recent progress report on its Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 shows the world has a lot of work to do to reach the goal of
“peaceful, just and inclusive societies.”
It reported that the UN stated that in recent years, the world has not made any substantial advances
toward “ending violence, promoting the rule of law, strengthening institutions at all
levels, or increasing access to justice.”
Gallup also stated that based on the results its latest global surveys on people’s perceptions
of their own security, called Law and Oder Index, the world’s adults largely concur with this assessment.
Gallup’s Index uses four questions to gauge people’s sense of personal
security and their personal experiences with crime and law enforcement and include
• In the city or area where you live, do you have confidence in the local police force?
• Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?
• Within the last 12 months, have you had money or property stolen from you or another household member?
• Within the past 12 months, have you been assaulted or mugged?
None of the four security metrics that Gallup asks about, including the proportion of people who feel safe walking alone around the area where they live — one of the indicators of Goal 16 — has changed much, if at all, in the past few years. And in some countries, such as Afghanistan, the situation has actually gotten worse.
The 2019 Global Law and Order report presents the results from Gallup’s latest measurements of people’s answers to these questions based on interviews with nearly 152,000 adults in 142 countries and areas in 2018. At the regional level, Sub Saharan Africa fared only better than Latin America.
We took a look their results to find out for 40 African countries who took part in the survey fared. Despite the unpredictable nature of security within the nature, it seems that Egyptians feel quite safe within the country as it topped the list on the continent.
According to the travel advisory of many Western countries, there is a significant risk of terrorist attacks throughout the country, with attacks being indiscriminate and occur with no warning, including in Cairo. While attacks in the North Sinai are frequent and mainly target security forces, terrorists have also targeted popular tourist destinations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners throughout Egypt.
There is also significant presence of armed security forces and police in most governorates throughout the country. A state of emergency is in effect with curfews being imposed on very short notice.
Compare that to the Indian Ocean island country of Mauritius, third in the rankings, where petty crime seems to the major security factor as violent crimes are mostly unheard of.
Rwanda makes a strong showing as the former war torn country continues to put its past behind and build on its future. Crime levels are reportedly low and the travelling at night is considered quite safe.
There were a few surprise rankings on the list like Burkina Faso and Burundi, with the former having significant risks for terrorist attacks and the former experiencing political instability since President Nkrunziza was inaugurated for a controversial third term in August 2015. There have been violent incidents reported across the country, including a number of targeted political and military assassinations.
Further down the rankings, and only managing to pip two other countries is South Africa where violent crime, such as armed robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging, and "smash-and-grab" attacks on vehicles, is common. There is a higher risk of violent crime in townships and the central business districts of major cities after dark.
Demonstrations, protests, and strikes occur frequently with such events having the potential to turn violent. These can develop quickly without prior notification, often interrupting traffic, transportation, and other services.
For more information on the Law and Order Index, please visit the Gallup website.
Law and Order Index Map
Law and Order Index Rankings