Extrajudicial Policing: Vigilantes and Violent Cops in Post-Apartheid South

The advent of majority rule in South Africa brought civil rights without inclusive economic growth. Lack of opportunities in black townships coupled with legal protections for suspected criminals have fostered criminality. Both the state and society have reacted to antisocial elements with extrajudicial violence. This lecture examines how and why vigilante justice and violent policing have become so pervasive in the post-apartheid era.

Guest Speaker: Mesrob Vartavarian, University of California – San Diego

Mesrob Vartavarian obtained a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge and has taught history and international relations at Harvard and Tufts. His publications have appeared in Africa and the Journal of Southern African Studies. He is currently teaching at the University of California, San Diego and writing a book on wealth concentration in South Africa for Ohio University Press.

Host or Publisher The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership