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2020 - Volume 4 - Number 1

Policing of Goods Piracy in a Developing Country: A Case of South Africa

Godfrey Thenga * tshabg@unisa.ac.za * ORCID: 0000-0003-4557-8271 * ResearcherID: AAG-5403-2020
University of South Africa, College of Law, Department of Police Practice, Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA

Open Journal for Sociological Studies, 2020, 4(1), 21-34 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojss.0401.03021t
Received: 2 March 2020 ▪ Accepted: 30 May 2020 ▪ Published Online: 12 June 2020

LICENCE: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ARTICLE (Full Text - PDF)

ABSTRACT:
South Africa forms part of the global village and is not exempted from goods piracy. These substandard goods pose physical and health risks to consumers and business. This study explored the policing of goods piracy in South Africa and the abilities of law enforcement agencies to police this crime. A qualitative research design was adopted. A literature review and interviews were conducted to provide an overview of this problem. The involvement of organized criminals exacerbates the problem and indications are that corruption is rampant in law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement agencies working in silos result in the rapid spreading of goods piracy. A shortage of skilled police members and a lack of training are identified as major problems. The findings of this study can serve as guidelines for preventative and reactive response mechanisms and can suggest ways of improving efficiency and effectiveness in policing goods piracy.

KEY WORDS: policing of goods piracy, South Africa, corruption, copyright infringement, work, money laundering.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Dr Godfrey Thenga, Senior lecturer, College of Law, Department of Police Practice, University of South Africa, Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA. E-mail: tshabg@unisa.ac.za.

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