FRANKLY SPEAKING | Organised crime, corruption remain biggest threats to fixing SA’s economy

There is no doubt that crime and corruption have become an existential threat for South Africa as much as apartheid was. The current political elite seem to acknowledge this now, after decades of incessant wailing and red flags by the people. “Organised crime is now the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development.

“Our primary focus this year is on stepping up the fight against organised crime and criminal syndicates, using technology, intelligence and integrated law enforcement.” President Cyril Ramaphosa said these words during his State of the Nation address (Sona). While this statement acknowledges the gravity of organised crime, it does not fully capture the political elite’s entanglement in these networks. Corruption and organised crime are inseparable, and any serious response must consistently highlight this connection.

Fortunately, Ramaphosa later made that link between corruption and organised crime clearer, echoing the findings of the Madlanga commission. The instruments which the president hopes to use are also concerning. Instruments such as the police force, crime intelligence and other intervention teams are, to varying degrees, also tainted by corruption and entangled in the criminal networks.

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The same modus operandi used by the political class to paralyse the police force has been brutally exploited by their organised crime counterparts. The dominant political elite and the criminal class seem to have amalgamated to a force that operates with the same ruthless and amoral pursuit of power.

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