PROJECT: THE IMPACT OF PRIMING IN SOUTH AFRICA

isabels39
May 13
6 min read

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Priming is the psychological phenomenon in which exposure to stimuli subconsciously influences behaviour or perception.

It significantly shapes societal and political dynamics in South Africa.

Organised crime operates through sophisticated networks that exploit systemic vulnerabilities.

Specialised Security Services remains committed to educating and empowering the public.

By encouraging conscious awareness of priming and its psychological effects, South Africans can actively reject harmful influences and restore a sense of safety and justice, starting in their homes and communities.

HOW PRIMING WORKS IN SOUTH AFRICA:

Priming effects are leveraged across political, social, and cultural domains to manipulate public perception and behaviour:

POLITICAL PRIMING:
- Leaders and parties use historical narratives to prime public sentiment. For example, the ANC frames policies like land reform or the NHI Bill as extensions of anti-apartheid struggles, activating emotional associations with liberation to deflect criticism.
- Xenophobic rhetoric primes citizens to associate migrants with crime.
- Messages like "GO HOME and BUILD Africa" spread via social media amplify the fear of foreigners, justifying violence and exclusion.
MEDIA AND CULTURAL PRIMING:
- News outlets often amplify crime statistics or sensationalise violence, priming fear and distrust in marginalised communities.
- This reinforces stereotypes of black and coloured populations as inherently criminal, a legacy of apartheid-era laws like the pass system.
- Political gaslighting, such as denying corruption or blaming external factors (e.g., "foreigners stealing jobs"), primes citizens to accept state narratives uncritically.
ECONOMIC PRIMING:
- Poverty and inequality create a "third economy" of illicit activities (e.g., drug trade, counterfeit goods).
- Desperation primes individuals to participate in the crime, viewing it as a viable survival strategy.

HOW CRIMINALS OPERATE:

Organised crime thrives owing to state collusion, systemic inequality, and weak law enforcement:

STATE-EMBEDDED NETWORKS:
- Criminal factors infiltrate government institutions, enabling activities like arms trafficking, extortion, and sabotage of infrastructure (e.g., Eskom's energy crisis).
  - The Zondo Commission revealed extensive state capture by private interests.
- Police and immigration officials often collaborate with human smugglers, accepting bribes to bypass border controls.
EXTORTION AND PROTECTION RACKETS:
- Criminal syndicates dominate sectors like construction, mining, and transport.
- The "construction mafia" invades sites to demand stakes in projects, while "security companies" in Gauteng operate as fronts for extortion.
- Kidnapping-for-ransom rings target wealthy individuals, leveraging fear to extract payments.
ILLICIT MARKETS:
- Drug Trade: Synthetic drugs (e.g., nyaope) and heroin flow through ports like Durban, controlled by transnational networks.
- Human Trafficking: Victims are coerced into sex work, forced labour, or muti (traditional medicine) rituals. False job offers and debt bondage are common tactics.
EXPLOITATION OF MARGINALISED GROUPS:
- Migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Lesotho are disproportionately criminalised.
- Police raids (e.g., Operation Fiela) target foreigners as scapegoats, while corrupt officials extort bribes for documentation.

HOW PRIMING INFLUENCES CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR:

In South Africa’s high-crime environment, individuals, especially youth growing up in marginalised communities, are often "primed" by daily exposure to violence, poverty, corruption, and lawlessness.
This repeated exposure normalises criminality and can desensitise individuals to the moral and legal consequences of crime.
- Children raised in gang-ridden areas may be primed to see violence or theft as a survival tactic or rite of passage.
- Media exposure to crime, including viral videos or songs glorifying illegal activity, can reinforce criminal norms.
- Lack of law enforcement or visible policing may prime communities to believe that justice is unattainable, encouraging vigilante justice or indifference to crime.

PRIMING AND VICTIM VULNERABILITY:

Priming also affects victims.
Constant exposure to warnings, trauma stories, and fear-based messaging may result in:
- Hypervigilance or chronic anxiety, especially among women and vulnerable groups.
- Desensitisation, where communities become numb to crime and are less likely to report or intervene.
- Learned helplessness in areas where crime is rampant and law enforcement is perceived as ineffective.

SOCIETAL AND INSTITUTIONAL PRIMING:

On a broader level, institutions can inadvertently prime criminality:
- Corruption and impunity among officials signal to the public that rules can be bent or broken without consequence.
- Failing infrastructure and poor urban planning (e.g., unlit streets, informal settlements) create environmental cues that embolden criminal behaviour.
- Economic inequality is constantly visible in urban centres, which primes resentment and opportunity-driven crime.

THE INTERSECTION OF PRIMING AND CRIMINALITY:

SCAPEGOATING:
- Politicians and media prime xenophobic sentiment to divert attention from state corruption, enabling crackdowns on migrants while ignoring elite malfeasance.
NORMALISATION OF CRIME:
- Decades of racialised incarceration (e.g., apartheid-era pass laws) prime societal acceptance of policing black bodies as inherently suspect, perpetuating cycles of criminalisation.
ECONOMIC DESPERATION:
- Poverty primes vulnerable populations to join gangs or illicit markets, as formal sectors fail to provide livelihoods.

HOW TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF PRIMING:

BE AWARE OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT:
- Acknowledge that repeated exposure to violence, fear, or lawlessness can normalise these behaviours.
- Reflect regularly on how media, news, and daily surroundings may be shaping your attitudes.
CHOOSE YOUR INFLUENCES:
- Limit media consumption (TV, social platforms, music) that glorify criminality or fear.
- Surround yourself with people, groups, and content that promote responsibility, hope, and resilience.
REFRAME NARRATIVES:
- Practice self-talk and community messaging that promotes agency: “I can report crime,” “We deserve safe streets,” “My actions matter.”
- Highlight and celebrate positive outcomes in your community, like arrests made, clean-up campaigns, or safety initiatives.
ENGAGE:
- Join or support mentorship, skills-building, and youth programs in your area.
- Participate in neighbourhood watches, church groups, or community cleanups, reinforcing trust and safety.
PRIORITISE MENTAL HEALTH:
- Chronic fear or exposure to crime can impact your psychological well-being. Seek support through counselling, support groups, or wellness programs.
- Practice stress-reducing techniques like exercise, mindfulness, and open communication with loved ones.
EDUCATE CHILDREN EARLY:
- Teach children about critical thinking and help them understand that what they see or hear does not always reflect acceptable behaviour.
- Reinforce values of respect, lawfulness, and empathy from a young age.

Priming in South Africa sustains narratives that legitimise inequality and criminalise marginalised groups, while organised crime exploits systemic gaps through corruption and violence. Addressing these issues requires dismantling state-crime collusion, improving economic equity, and challenging prejudicial priming through education and media reform.

Without such measures, South Africa risks further descent into a "mafia state" in which crime and governance

are indistinguishable.

Specialised Security Services invites the public to the Mike Bolhuis Daily Projects WhatsApp Channel.

This channel is important in delivering insights into the latest crime trends, awareness, warnings and the exposure of criminals.

How to Join the WhatsApp Channel:

1. Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp on your device.

2. Click on the link below to join the Mike Bolhuis Daily Projects WhatsApp Channel:

- https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VarjftF8PgsI4pODE929

3. Follow the prompts to join the channel.

4. Make sure you click on "Follow", then click on the "bell"-icon (🔔)

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Regards,

Mike Bolhuis

Specialist Investigators into

Serious Violent, Serious Economic Crimes & Serious Cybercrimes

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