A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (Gitoc) released in September 2022 said that South Africa is increasingly becoming a center of organized crime, transcending national borders.
Gangs sabotaging critical infrastructure
The picture that emerges from the report is that there are organized networks inside and outside the country that enable, facilitate and exploit opportunities for personal gain.
Or, they carry out unfair advantages in economic activities in the public and private sectors, using coercive methods. Some actively sabotage critical infrastructure to benefit from this.
The areas of public life in which criminals exploit or intimidate influence are increasing.
In recent times, large-scale crimes have infiltrated health care, education and parastatals. Speaking out against malfeasance comes at a high price.
This is apart from the many political killings of activists and local officials, either for political gain or revenge against those who dare to speak out about corruption.
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Mafia state
There is no doubt that there is a huge ecosystem of organized crime in the country and in the public life of the country.
And, because political actors or state institutions are often associated, some commentators have even questioned whether South Africa is a “mafia state”.
The term “mafia state” refers to the interpenetration of government and organized crime networks. In his influential 2012 article, Mafia States, Venezuelan journalist and writer Moises Naim said:
In a mafia state, high-ranking government officials are actually integral players, if not leaders, of criminal enterprises, and the defense and promotion of their business is an official priority.
There is no single prototype when a country can be branded as a mafia state. The concept is best thought of as a spectrum.
The most extreme cases involve politicians at the highest levels taking direct control of organized crime operations.
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Collusion between crime syndicates and powerful political figures
Other characteristics are collusion between crime syndicates and powerful political figures, money laundering to hide illegal results, and the use of violence and intimidation to protect those involved.
The Gitoc report does not use the label “mafia state” to describe South Africa.
What is clear is that there are many crime networks that include not only criminal “kings” and politically connected individuals but also ordinary people.
They are part of this “value chain”, for different historical reasons. But South Africa may have reached a point where crime and politics are intertwined because there are role players who don’t want to see change.
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Fighting corruption
The prevalence of criminal elements in a country does not mean that the whole country has become a criminal enterprise.
But there are many state institutions, which are targeted by criminals, with the collusion of people inside.
South Africa has not surrendered to the criminalization of the state, and is actively challenging it.
Many revelations about fraud, corruption and nepotism stem from the whistleblower principle in the state structure.
Others come from relatively free media, and voices in civil society and politics. Some malfeasance has been revealed by inquiries initiated by the executive himself.
Capture the State
This is what happened with the Zondo Commission, which tried to capture the state.
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Poor communication strategies make it difficult for ordinary citizens to assess how the country is responding to these challenges.
A case in point is the government’s decision to send in the military to increase security at some power plant facilities.
It remains to be seen whether the deployment will be able to stop the acts of sabotage that Eskom’s senior management claims is a major factor in the worsening of the energy crisis.
As with the July 2021 riots, which were sparked by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma for contempt of court, there have been conflicting public statements from cabinet ministers about critical sectors and services affected by crime.
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The political economy of organized crime
The South African economy has a formal sector (“the first economy”) and an informal sector (“the second economy”).
Economists call this the dual economy. To this must be added the “third economy” – the illegal economic activity described above, which has entered the formal and informal economy.
The overlap between licit and illegal economies in South Africa is complex. Large multinational corporations can also covertly engage in illegal operations even in plain sight.
On the other hand, criminals often exploit vulnerable people where the state fails to meet their basic needs: they offer jobs, opportunities and income, a phenomenon seen not only in South Africa, but throughout the African continent.
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Looking forward
Part of the reset South Africa needs to untangle the web of politics and crime is better policing and security strategies.
The state must be able to assert its authority in the interests of the majority, law-abiding citizens who want to live honestly in a climate of certainty.
If the crime-politics nexus is deliberately perpetuated through the collusion of influential actors in the country, it will be more difficult to dissolve it.
The resources used to deal with crime will be ineffective. The specter of corrupt, inflexible or compromised people in the criminal justice sector will make the future even more unstable.
Violence and threats against those who fight organized crime will become commonplace.
The report of the Zondo Commission, the Special Investigation Unit, whistleblower reports, the work of investigative journalists, research by academics, think tanks and civil society organizations, all show how the slide towards a criminal state can be stopped.
The criminal justice system should bring criminals to book, not pave the way for impunity.
But more important than fighting crime is asking hard questions about how ordinary people can become involved in organized crime, and why the country’s democracy is becoming more polarized.
If the dire socio-economic situation persists, there is a possibility that organized criminals will continue to exploit the contradictions in society, and the organized crime market will flourish.
The stakes are high. Stopping South Africa from becoming a “mafia state” should be a priority for everyone. This will be a major issue for voters ahead of the 2024 national general election.
This article originally appeared on The Conversation and is republished with permission.
Read the original article here.