[Letter] Organised crime has its teeth in SA

As the ANC’s hold on power weakens and SA politics becomes more competitive, political violence becomes increasingly likely. The patronage networks that have been created around and within the ANC over many years will not go quietly if they start to feel truly threatened.

The extortion and profiteering gangs linked to construction, water, transport and other sectors that have proliferated in recent years are likely to fight back if they fear losing access to state resources as the ANC’s power wanes.

Though a political motive for the attempted hijacking of DA MP Ian Cameron and two colleagues in Philippi, Cape Town, has not been established, the incident confirmed that no-one is truly safe from the country’s consistently high crime rate.

The 2023 Global Organised Crime Index — the latest available — places SA seventh globally for organised crime, up from 19th in 2021, and behind only Myanmar, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

The index highlights multiple criminal markets, with the highest risks in synthetic drugs (8.5), extortion and protection racketeering (8), arms trafficking (8), nonrenewable resource crimes (8) and financial crimes (7.5).

The findings of the index match the warnings from KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who has alleged that powerful business and political figures protect organised crime syndicates from prosecution. Such protection undermines enforcement.

The index records a drop in resilience to organised crime, with law enforcement rated at 4.5/10, the weakest score in Southern Africa. Businesses are left exposed to an uneven playing field where competitors may be backed by illicit capital or enjoy protection from corrupt officials.

The government’s declining capacity to contain organised crime means criminal actors are filling governance vacuums, especially in local municipalities. This has implications for service delivery, procurement and community stability. Investors face higher operational risks, reputational exposure and greater likelihood of targeted violence and social unrest.

Article originally appeared here.