Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Criminology at the University of Zululand, 1974. / The present investigation is a result of the following considerations which are of interest to the researcher: In the first. place, not much research has been conducted on the problem of crime among the Africans in South Africa. There is thus very little published material on this subject. Furthermore, the problem of crime among the Africans has up till now mostly been investigated by white• researchers, and in urban areas. While their efforts are highly commendable, one problem facing white researchers conducting research of this nature is that they have in most cases interpreted the criminality of the Africans in terms of their own standards. 1 Proximity to the area of research (Mtunzini) is another factor that has prompted the investigator to undertake this project. / Human Sciences Research Council