Link between crime and politics in South Africa raises concerns

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, receives the final report of a judicial investigation into corruption from Chief Justice Raymond Zondo at Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa on June 22, 2022. [AP Photo]

A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (Gitoc) released in September 2022 argues that South Africa has increasingly become a centre of organised crime, transcending national boundaries.

The picture emerging from the report is that there are organised networks inside and outside the state that enable, facilitate and exploit opportunities for private gain. Or, they exercise unfair advantage in economic activity in the public and private sectors, using coercive methods. Some actively go about sabotaging critical infrastructure to benefit from this.