Criminals are holding South Africa to ransom

[Nat Quinn]

Criminals are holding South Africa to ransom

‘Construction mafias’ and kidnapping syndicates are running amock in South Africa, with reports by TimesLive and the Sunday Times highlighting how networks are running their activities with impunity while the national government dithers.

TimesLive ran an explosive investigation this week, detailing how kidnapping syndicates run by international criminals are operating in South Africa, targeting anyone perceived to have the means to pay ransoms, working with corrupt police and Home Affairs officials to conduct their ‘business’.

According to the report, kidnappings have escalated in South Africa, with targets shifting over time. Initially, wealthy foreign nationals were the main targets, but as available high-net-worth ‘resources’ have dwindled, the criminal networks have moved to middle or even low-income targets.

When not kidnapping for ransom, the criminals threaten businesses and extort ‘protection money’ from them to prevent potential kidnappings, the investigation found.

Construction Mafias

The Sunday Times, meanwhile, reports that construction mafia bosses in KwaZulu Natal are now demanding R5 million for preventing an alleged plot to bomb metro buildings and infrastructure during the 2021 riots. This was ‘revealed’ during negotiations with officials.

Mafias have become a severe thorn in the side of many businesses in South Africa – especially in the construction sector – with leaders of so-called “business forums” demanding 30% of contracts for major projects. Failure to do so results in the projects being shut down, often with violence.

With the mafias, officials in KwaZulu Natal have taken an interest in negotiating with the criminals in the hopes that they can get the “forums” to work with authorities rather than against them. Instead, officials have reportedly received the demand for R5 million.

Other parts of the country hit by the mafias have taken a harsher line and opted not to work with the criminals. Political parties, including the ANC, DA and Action SA, have called for cities not to negotiate with the forums, saying it is akin to negotiating with terrorists.

In both cases – kidnapping syndicates and construction mafias, extortion plays a significant role in their modus operandi, and authorities appear stumped on how to deal with them.

Pushback against the mafias is making some progress. Earlier this month, the SAPS and its collaboration with Business Against Crime South Africa (Bacsa) saw over 140 individuals identified for murder, assault, intimidation and violence, with Public Works Minister Sihle Zikalala claiming that over 700 people have been arrested.

However, many businesses and projects are still under pressure from these ‘business forums’.

With the kidnappings, the SAPS has a specialised kidnapping unit which has had some successes in cracking down on syndicates terrorising businesses. However, these efforts have also been tainted by two separate investigative reports – by TimesLive and the City Press – identifying that SAPS members themselves are involved in the crimes.

 

source:Criminals are holding South Africa to ransom – BusinessTech

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