2024-04-27 09:59:29
Organized crime, which is taking on increasingly worrying dimensions in South Africa, may become the next crisis of “state capture”, a phenomenon which has weakened the country’s public institutions over the last decade, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
“As organized crime becomes more sophisticated, it needs better investigation and prosecution skills,” NPA president Shamila Batohi said in a press conference in Cape Town (1,457 km from Pretoria). .
She added that the real challenge for law enforcement is apprehending the leaders of these crime syndicates, who operate with impunity, and not just their underlings.
Stressing that crime is fueled by corruption which affects all state entities, the official noted that asset confiscation is at the center of the agency’s strategy aimed at returning the proceeds of crime.
Furthermore, Ms Batohi said that the lack of skills hampers investigations into financial crimes carried out by the police, particularly in terms of monitoring the progress of money transfers to identify the main actors.
In South Africa, “state capture” is a phenomenon that refers to the widespread embezzlement and fraud carried out by political leaders and businessmen during the two terms of office of former President Jacob Zuma.
According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), South Africa is grappling with an “existential crisis” due to the growing scale of organized criminal networks plaguing the country.
“The situation in South Africa continues to get worse, with higher and higher scores for organized crime,” said Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane, a researcher at the organization, recalling that in 2022, the South Africa has lost more than $26 billion (R500 billion) to this scourge.
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