ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that, in many parts of South Africa, “the established social order has broken down”, democratic norms of the acceptable individual behaviour are not widely shared and alternative norms of behaviour such as gangsterism, which encourages violence, hold powerful sway. The trauma of colonialism, slavery and apartheid has caused a crisis of broken individuals. Their legacies are also the cause of interpersonal, with in-community and interracial violence continuing over generations, and persisting even after these regimes had long fallen. Religious organisations, membership organisations (trade unions) and community organisations will also have to teach their members non-violent methods of dispute resolution. The South African government must step up its efforts to grant the black poor equitable opportunities, including through a programme of mass adult education, to provide the economy with a cohort of the workers with the useful skills.
