Crime and violence, often rooted in poverty and inequality, now pose a major threat to the safely and security of life and property in many African cities. UN-Habitat estimates that sub-Saharan African cities have over 166 million slum dwellers, most of who work in the informal sector where they simply do not earn enough to afford decent shelter and services. These slums contrast sharply with elite neighborhoods where the affluent few enjoy high quality housing and residential environment. This and other structural inequalities create a general feeling of relative deprivation, and tend to predispose jobless youths and other marginalized groups to various forms of self-defined and self-justified anti-social acts, directed against those they perceive as the oppressors. How do we build and manage cities that are free of fear, crime and insecurity. To invest as we do in various forms of public and private security and surveillance merely reflects the siege mentality that has developed in the cities rather than a lasting solution to the problem. Our corrupt criminal justice system appears to ill-suited, and therefore unable to provide much needed control and deterrence. Worse still, many misguided government officials and planners tend to blame the urban poor and the informal sector as a source of crime and disorder, and therefore something to be removed through repression and forced eviction. Current research suggests that the path to urban peace, security and sustainability in Africa lies in promoting good and accountable governance, strengthening the social protection system, and building more inclusive and socially equitable cities “where everybody, irrespective of their economic means, gender, age, ethnic origin or religion are enabled and empowered to participate productively in the social, economic and political opportunities that cities offer”.
