How organised crime, weak accountability fuel SA’s assassination crisis

The killing of another lawyer in Johannesburg has raised questions about the surge of brazen contract killings. 

A 35-year-old woman was shot dead near the CCMA offices in the Johannesburg CBD on Monday.

Preliminary reports indicate that she was followed by two unidentified gunmen near the corner of Joubert and Fox streets before she was shot. 

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Julian Rademeyer, a senior adviser at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, explained that serious systemic issues have allowed these assassinations to thrive.

He highlighted that the security of courts and judicial buildings has always been a major concern, and there is a clear pattern of who stands to benefit: organised crime and political corruption.

“There's been a commercialisation of assassination in recent years. It's a very easy way out for those involved."

Mike Bolhuis, a specialist investigator and crime expert, added that the lack of accountability is a major factor in the rise of these killings.

“Only around 10% to 15% of murders are solved every year. It's easy to get away with it,” he said.

To listen to Rademeyer and Bolhuis in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, use the audio player below: