Organised crime is slowly bleeding the country Photo The Conversation
South Africa – In a world where organised crime often brings to mind images of the Italian Mafia, South Africa has emerged as a surprising contender in the realm of criminal networks. According to the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index, South Africa has scored a staggering 7.18 out of 10 in criminality, securing its place as the seventh highest-ranking nation out of 193 countries globally and the third within Africa. Beyond the rankings, this sobering data unveils a stark reality—an unsettling demonstration of crime’s deep-rooted presence, nurtured by a web of corruption.
The comparison becomes even more disconcerting when viewed in the global and African context. Myanmar has the highest criminality score (8.15), followed by Colombia (7.75) and then Mexico (7.57). In Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (7.35) and Nigeria (7.28) were just slightly ahead of South Africa which should be of major concern, said Chad Thomas, organised crime expert.
“The two countries that fared worse than us in the study, being the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria, are two countries that effectively have major problems in terms of internal stability and civil war. If you look at Congo, to the east of the country, they’ve had a civil war raging for close on two decades. When one looks at Nigeria in the North, you have Boko Haram waging war and in the South you have men waging war and in the middle there’s an ongoing fight for the oil resources. So these countries are basically at war within their own countries.”
The many faces of organised crime
South Africa is a country that doesn’t have civil war but has a far higher murder count and death rate than most war zones within the continent and within the world at large. This is of great concern because it shows that South African criminality is very violent compared to other emerging economies, said Thomas.
Organised crime in South Africa has always existed but recently it has taken on various forms, with mafia-style groups orchestrating a range of criminal activities, explained Thomas..
If we look towards the construction sector, when someone wants to start a construction they get introduced to “business forums”. These business forums basically come there demanding protection fees from those wishing to work, reminiscent of the mafia’s control over construction in 1970s New York.
“It’s a very concerning issue when one sees just how widespread these so-called Mafia have become. When one looks at trucks that are getting burnt and how different roots are getting barricaded and the sabotage of our rail infrastructure, a lot of people think that the sabotage of the rail infrastructure is mostly because of the scrap metal value. It’s not. It’s so that they can continue using trucks on our main arterial routes and those trucks themselves are now becoming targeted by different Mafia groups that want to have their drivers employed by those specific companies.”
The evolution of criminal organisations
South Africa’s open borders have attracted criminal actors from around the world, exacerbating the problem. These criminals have a different method of operating which is often much more violent and detail oriented.
“When one looks at the kidnapping for example this was an imported style of kidnapping. We always had kidnapping in South Africa but it wasn’t kidnapping for ransom. We saw people being kidnapped during the hijacking of a car to see whether there was a disabling device or tracking device. We saw people being held hostage for the period before midnight and after midnight so that their money could be drawn from their account two days in a row but we never saw kidnap for ransom reach the proportions that it has until it was imported from Maputo. Maputo had a sad history of kidnapping and unfortunately it trickled over into South Africa.”
Now, there are accounts of imitative kidnappings unfolding within informal settlements, where children are abducted, and parents find themselves coerced into paying ransoms, shared Thomas. In the past, it was primarily high-net-worth individuals who were targeted for ransom, but it appears that this sinister trend has expanded to encompass individuals of all financial backgrounds; it spares no one, regardless of their net worth.
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What the syndicates are costing the country
Dion George, Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister of Finance, said the opposition party was “appalled” by the latest crime statistics, with the “mafia state” bleeding the national economy of R155 billion every year.
“The systematic degradation and hollowing out of South Africa’s law enforcement agencies by the ANC government has turned the country into a haven for organised crime syndicates who are threatening to overrun every sector of the economy,” he said in a statement.
Based on data compiled from think tank organisations and public statements issued by government officials, the DA posits that the impact of various criminal activities on the economy is substantial. Their estimations suggest that the construction mafia alone incurs an annual cost of R17 billion, while infrastructure vandalism and arson, including incidents like copper cable and rail track theft, exact a toll of R47 billion.
Eskom’s organised crime networks are believed to incur costs amounting to R12 billion, with kidnapping and extortion syndicates costing approximately R146 million. Additionally, the illicit economy, encompassing illegal drug and firearm trade, imposes a financial burden of R13.6 billion. Wildlife criminal syndicates involved in activities such as illegal abalone and rhino poaching are estimated to cost R1.2 billion, while illegal mining networks, known as “Zama Zamas,” account for a staggering R14 billion in losses. Furthermore, the scourge of tender corruption is estimated at R30 billion, the tobacco and cigarette mafia at R20 billion, and the impact of taxi-related crime remains unquantified. These figures shed light on the substantial economic implications of various criminal enterprises in South Africa.
Fighting Back: Challenges and solutions
Corruption among state actors and within criminal organisations exacerbates the problem. When those at the highest levels of government evade accountability, it sets a dangerous precedent, explained Thomas. The lack of consequences for politicians and businessmen involved in illicit activities creates an environment where lower-level criminals believe they can act with impunity.
Efforts to combat organised crime in South Africa face significant challenges, primarily stemming from budget constraints and resource allocation. Although the country boasts robust legislation and dedicated law enforcement and prosecutorial personnel, they often lack the resources required for effective action.
“We can’t have Bheki Cele putting more boots on the ground but forgetting about the fact that more arrests mean more investigations and if you don’t have investigators who are seasoned you have a skill deficit. We haven’t seen seasoned investigators who have left the police service being replaced. We know that the Hawks don’t get the correct budget. They only get half of what’s actually required for them to function at full capacity.”
South Africa has emerged as an unexpected contender in the global arena of organised crime, raising pivotal questions about its precipitous rise in criminality. How has a nation that lacks a civil war found itself surpassing some war-torn regions in terms of violence, with murder rates spiralling out of control? The country’s multifaceted criminal landscape, featuring mafia-style groups orchestrating various illegal activities, demands attention. The most pressing inquiry concerns the cost—what is the true economic toll of these criminal syndicates on South Africa and its people? The figures presented by the DA, amounting to R155 billion annually, paint a chilling picture of a “mafia state” bleeding the nation’s economy dry, with criminal networks infiltrating every sector. As the nation grapples with these formidable challenges, it must confront corruption, allocate resources effectively, and rebuild public trust in its ability to combat organised crime—an arduous journey toward a safer and more secure future.
