Government's National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) has failed in part because of its lack of understanding of the relationship between crime and its underlying causes, an Institute for Security Studies (ISS) report revealed on Wednesday.

Speaking at a seminar on the state response to the crime problem, senior researcher Johan Burger said that he was "adamant" that the strategy had failed.

He said this was because socio-economic problems such as unemployment, poverty, lack of education and the absence of adequatesocial services -- which were considered the biggest threat to national security -- had not formed part of the overarching strategy.

"If a national threat, why not a national strategy?" said Burger.

He said a lack of conviction, commitment and support to implement the NCPS had also been its downfall.

The phasing out of the commandos had left a security vacuum.

Civil rights initiative AfriForum, which had approached the ISS to undertake the study, said it would be taking legal steps against the government.

"The ISS report now provides a scientific basis on which the government can be held accountable in court for its neglect to combat crime effectively," said CEO Kallie Kriel.

He said he had handed the ISS report to a legal team with the instruction that they should look into ways it could be used to take the government to court.

"Once the government is called to account in public, the sense of urgency, which to date has been absent from the authorities feeble efforts to combat crime, will be added," said Kriel.

The release of the ISS study and AfriForum's announcement to take legal steps comes a day after Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa concluded a two-day crime conference.