Political risk has fed into organised crime

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Thu 28 Sep   [Ron Derby] When Thabo Mbeki took on Anglo American’s Tony Trahar for highlighting South Africa as a country with heightened “political risk” almost 20 years ago, the then president was in a strong position because at that point the ANC was in charge of an economy growing better than forecast, a black middle class emerging and the project of deep corporate transformation — “on the surface” at least — was moving through the countless number of blue chip companies announcing sales of shares to new black investors. He had a story to tell, enough to quieten the former Anglo chief executive. That was in 2004. Three years later he would no longer be ANC president and a year later, was pushed from the presidency of the country. His successor in Jacob Zuma would initially ride the crest of the wave that came with a country with fiscal surplus in a world of economic turmoil in the aftermath of the US subprime crisis. The tailwind was short-lived and as the tide turned against emerging markets, including South Africa, Zuma’s administration was exposed for its corrupt practices. Political risk was now an undeniable reality. It’s been this country’s Achilles heel ever since. But there’s another risk that has been building as perhaps a consequence — organised crime. Yesterday, the Global Organised Crime Index ranked South Africa seventh in the world for organised crime activity. This is a huge risk for the country and difficult to reverse. Policing under the fedora of Police Minister Bheki Cele simply won’t do. This is the biggest challenge the country faces today and for the incoming government next year. How do we gain traction against organised crime? It’s a ballot issue. Ron Derby | Editor-in-Chief [@Ronderby]( ADVERTISEMENT [SA ranked seventh in Global Organised Crime Index]( The report found that South Africa’s overall trend over recent years was one of 'worsening instability' and economic crisis [// Read more]( [Eskom trying to cap load-shedding at stage four for summer]( Eskom’s Calib Cassim said the utility plans to keep capacity losses caused by breakdowns to below 14 500 megawatts [// Read more]( Premium [ANC members want SIU probe in Mbombela]( Group wants dubious transactions as far back as 2015 investigated [// Read more]( ADVERTISEMENT Recommended Reads [Young people at the heart of conserving the rhino]( Lapalala housed 120 learners who took part in a competition through speeches and posters to raise awareness for the rhino [// Read more]( [South Africa’s water security crisis: Don’t wait until the last drop is gone]( The infrastructure is there but it has to be maintained, upgraded and used appropriately [// Read more]( [Taps have been dry for years in Frazer informal settlement]( The eThekwini Municipality says projects are underway to build proper water infrastructure [// Read more]( [On track with Faith Kipyegon]( The rest of us are just trying to keep up [// Read more]( Premium [Sovereign wealth fund needs a hero]( The fund, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020, may have helped protect the fiscus from a long-term debt crisis [// Read more]( [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Mail & Guardian Media LTD · 25 Owl St · Braamfontein · Johannesburg, Gauteng 2001 · South Africa