LINKING CRIME AND MORALITY: Reviewing the Moral Regeneration Movement

Abstract

Politicians, religious leaders and social commentators have all spoken about a breakdown in morality in South Africa, with crime as the most commonly cited evidence. The moral regeneration initiative is one response to this crisis, emerging in parallel to countless other initiatives aimed at reducing crime, some of which have themselves contained explicit appeals to morals, values or ethics. A review of its origins and development shows that the moral regeneration initiative has suffered from a lack of clarity about both its mission and its strategy. The movement’s attempts to build meaningful civil society participation in the campaign have also been a key challenge.