South Africa has the world's worst peacetime statistics for murder, rape and robbery. To add to the problem, police forces have a reputation for incompetence and corruption.
The start of> a solution: Create a special force of "untouchables" modeled on the special squad led by the legendary Elliot Ness, who combated crime in Chicago during the American Prohibition era in the 1930s. This solution is being implemented.
Among the minimum requirements for a member of the force are a university degree and the ability to speak no fewer than four of South Africa's official languages. The final 100 recruits were selected out of 7,000 applicants. The main determining factors were integrity and intelligence. (Source: The Independent on Sunday [London].)
