The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) correlates with the evolution of digital crimes.
Financial institutions use AI to detect fraud, but criminals are also using AI to develop new ways of committing fraud.
In the pursuit of developing world-class AI for Africa, data security is the most critical element in securing Africa’s digital economy.
In an undeniable reflection of Africa’s burgeoning digital economyby Mastercard, the continent’s AI market is projected to skyrocket from an estimated R78 billion in 2025 to a massive R286,9 billion by 2030. South Africa’s projected AI market size is over R20 billion as of 2025, according to the report by Mastercard. As a direct response to this financial surge, nations like South Africa are moving to secure this digital future.
As we progress further in the development of a digital Africa, traditional, rule-based security systems are proving to be slow and ineffective. From phishing emails, spam texts to sophisticated deepfake attacks, criminals are constantly evolving their methods.
Standard Bank’s Head of payments, Rufaida Hamilton, wrote an article discussing the role of AI in detecting, monitoring, and preventing payments fraud. Hamilton states that AI is transforming fraud prevention in the financial sector by moving beyond traditional rule-based systems to proactively detect and monitor payments fraud in real time. AI-powered systems can detect these patterns in transaction data, identify unusual customer behaviour, and even analyse text and voice to flag suspicious activity in real-time.
Above: Data chart showing the number of AI-related scams over a three-year period. Graphic: Katlego Makhutle/TRM Labs
However, the article also notes that this is a continuous cat and mouse game, as criminals are simultaneously using AI to develop more sophisticated scams and mimic human behaviour. The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) released an annual report in 2024 stating that there’s an uptick in AI-powered financial crimes, with criminals getting more creative in their use of AI to commit phishing, deep fakes and creating synthetic identity frauds.
According to SABRIC, a major underlying threat is the rise of synthetic identities, which are fictitious personas created by AI that blend real and fake data. These digital phantoms are used to apply for loans and open fraudulent accounts, bypassing traditional verification systems designed to spot real people.
Application fraud remains a significant concern, with false applications alone contributing 2.9% of card fraud losses. Beyond just tricking individuals, AI is also enabling a new kind of “ghost” fraud that attacks the very foundations of the financial system. TRM Labs also reported that criminals are now using AI to generate hyper-realistic deepfakes of executives to trick employees into wiring millions.
SABRIC’s report also reveals that criminals are no longer just relying on clumsy, rule-based attacks but are harnessing AI to craft a new generation of scams. Gone are the days of misspelt phishing emails and awkward grammar.
Instead, criminals are deploying generative AI to produce “error-free phishing emails” and “AI-generated WhatsApp messages.” This shift makes every text and email a potential trap, turning the most common forms of communication into potential tools for digital fraud.
While overall financial crime losses saw a decline of nearly 18%, dropping from R3.3 billion in 2023 to R2.7 billion in 2024, digital banking fraud has surged, becoming the dominant threat South Africa’s digital ecosystem.
The number of reported digital fraud cases more than doubled, soaring from 31,612 in 2023 to 64,000 in 2024. This dramatic increase resulted in a proportional rise in financial losses, which climbed from R1 billion to over R1.4 billion in the same period.
The fight for control over Africa’s digital financial landscape is a new kind of “Code War,” where fintech innovations and AI-powered defences are locked in a continuous escalation with sophisticated digital criminals.
However, the adoption of AI in this context is not without its own set of challenges, particularly concerning data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for robust regulatoryframeworks. The solution to these escalating threats extends beyond technology and connects directly to the concept of data sovereignty and security in Africa.
Wits University’s School of Electrical and Information Engineering lecturer, Dr. Martin Bekker, noted that AI in Africa still needs to be given representative data by Africa and for Africa. Bekker highlights that sharing data with any Language Learning Model (LLM) is not secure or private and sharing data with these tools does not present any “unique” security challenges; instead, it exacerbates existing challenges.
“Digital security is always relative [and] never absolute…[its] a bit of a cat-and-mouse game. However, there are ideas such as hosting your own open-weight LLM internally, as opposed to using an online service, which are emerging as best practices. As for the ethics – AI training appears to rely on quite a bit of IP misappropriation, super-high energy use, and if there is RLHF (Reinforcement learning from human feedback), possible labour exploitation too,” Bekker stated.
At the recent GovTech 2025 conference, South African Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, warned that without digital sovereignty, the country’s national sovereignty is at risk, as data becomes increasingly controlled by foreign tech giants.
“We need digital sovereignty. We can’t have our data controlled by everybody, anywhere in the world,” Nzimande stated. The purpose of building local data centres is not solely based on the physical storage of data. It also points to a strategic move that is working to ensure that African-based financial data remains within the continent’s borders, is subject to local laws and is used to develop a domestic AI industry that serves African needs and values.
The long-term defence against AI-powered crime and data breaches must be a holistic one. However, simply localising data and regulating financial institutions does not automatically guarantee security or sustainability. The story of AI in Africa’s financial sector is therefore a complex narrative of innovation and vulnerability. An ever-changing and unfolding story, where advanced digital technology is the best defence against crime and the most potent weapon for digital fraudsters.
FEATURED IMAGE: Hand holding phone with scam alert on the screen Photo: Katlego Makhutle
The IPID has dropped its charges against KZN’s Provincial Police Commissioner due to a lack of evidence.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has officially dropped its charges against the Provincial Police Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The case, launched on March 19, was a result of an anonymous tip off against Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
According to EyeWitness News, he was accused of having cleared allegations against a prison official, Feroz Khan, who was alleged to have interfered in a drug dealing case.
There’s been a lot of noise around Mkhwanazi lately. Under his leadership, KZN has seen a more assertive police force that isn’t afraid to take the fight to criminals. As recent as January 30, the police were involved in a shootout with Inanda West Gang, a notorious gang that has been terrorising communities in northern Durban.
Mkhwanazi has publicly declared war on gang crime and gun violence, with over 100 suspects getting killed during confrontations with KZN police units. It’s no surprise that figures like National Assembly Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee of Police Ian Cameron have raised concerns about the political undertones of the IPID’s case against Mkhwanazi.
There are questions worth asking. Was this ever really about justice, or just a way to sideline a cop who doesn’t play politics? The latest crime stats from the South African Police Service (SAPS), ranging from October to December 2024, show a 1.6% decrease in contact crime. KZN showed a significant decrease in murders by 9.5% amongst other contact-related crimes.
Some commentators have tried to paint his approach as ruthless and unduly lethal, with the DA leading the charge of pressuring SAPS to implement body cams for everyday operations. However, if that means showing up, cracking down on drug networks and, sending a clear message to criminals, then maybe it’s what the rest of the country needs to adapt to.
Recent data from the IPID in the fiscal year of 2023-2024 reported significant concerns regarding the use of force by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and they additionally reported 187 deaths resulting from police action in KZN, the highest in all provinces. This alarming number was countered by Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, who argues that these were results of police acting in self-defence against suspects.
Law enforcement can’t be effective when it’s second-guessed at every turn by people who’ve never been put in highly threatening situations. Communities under siege from gangs and drug dealers don’t need long lectures, they need decisive action. Mkhwanazi has been open in recent interviews about the fact that being soft on crime simply doesn’t work in this country and he’s not wrong.
Perhaps, it is time we let more leaders like him do just that, even if we disagree with the methods at hand. A stronger law enforcement system is needed now more than ever, with a balanced reform of policing and law enforcement protocols. That will assist in ensuring that all crime is addressed fairly, immediately and without bias against SAPS.
FEATURED IMAGE: Katlego Makhutle. Photo: File/Paul Botes
A compelling piece that takes the reader into the minds of South African serial killers through narrative psychology.
On Saturday, 17 August 2024, the Wits Origin Centre hosted the launch of a book titled Killer Stories written by psychologist Brin Hodgskiss and Nicole Engelbrecht, which uses the stories of serial killers to explore their psyche.
Hodgskiss interviewed several serial killers to tell their own version of events. He then applied the principles of narrative psychology to help the reader get a glimpse of how the individuals think, using his role as a psychologist to better understand them.
In his conversations with the serial killers, Hodgskiss learnt that the environment played a huge role in the way that these individuals turned out. He also noted that many of them had a misogynist outlook that made it difficult for him to bear and listen to.
While writing, Hodgskiss realized that “the role that was played by the stories I told myself about myself was part of the problem.” He added, “I noticed amongst all the serial murderers I spoke to was the power that their story has.” These stories that serial killers told to themselves about their place in the world “influenced the crimes they committed”.
Hodgskiss was joined by the curator of the Wits Origins Centre Dr Tammy Reynards and Wits academics Beth Amato and Dr Sahba Besharati who formed a panel to discuss crime, trauma, and healing in South Africa.
Speaking to the audience, Hodgskiss explained his journey prior to writing the book, stating that it all started when he was part of a team at Rhodes University that went to Grahamstown to help the police with identifying offenders. This led him to different maximum-security prisons, where he interviewed serial killers.
Nichole Engelbrecht, the host of True Crime South Africa, a victim-focused true crime podcast, invited Hodgskiss a guest on an episode after reading his research on ‘Lessons from serial murder in South Africa’. The two managed to maintain a relationship that resulted in them agreeing to write a book together which was completed in just nine months.
The book comes at a time where South Africa is experiencing a high crime index. According to South African Police Service statistical report for 2023/2024, there were 27, 368 recorded cases of murder, meaning that an average of 75 people were murdered every day in that period. The annual crime stats are due to be released next week, and one can only hope that a less chilling picture awaits.
Nevertheless, this book helps bring to the forefront that the lived experience of serial killers and their understanding of their role in society play a huge role in their destiny.
FEATURED IMAGE: Left to right: Brin Hodgskiss, Sahba Besharati & Beth Amato. Photo: Siyanda Mthethwa.
Rise Mzansi hosted a panel discussion to inform citizens on their plan to tackle crime in Gauteng.
Newcomer to national politics, Rise Mzansi plans to tackle crime through addressing structural issues head on, instead of narrowly focusing on policing alone.
On April 9, 2024, Rise Mzansi hosted a panel discussion at Workshop 17 in Rosebank Mall to address their proposed policies on safety and security in South Africa, with emphasis on the need to address the root causes of crime.
This discussion was the second instalment of a weekly event hosted by Rise labelled the “Citizens Assembly’. A public forum to deliberate proposed policies and electoral issues, allowing input from both a panel of experts and citizens in attendance. The idea is to incorporate feedback to improve policies and build a genuine ‘people’s manifesto’.
Monday’s assembly was hosted by human rights activist, Mark Heywood and Rise’s Gauteng Premier candidate, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa. Heywood said the format would “pioneer the practice of participatory democracy”, and the two hours that followed proved his point.
The panel of experts included Head of Justice and Violence Prevention at the Institute for Security Studies Gareth Newham, founder of the NGO ‘Nirvana’ Jennifer Matibi, lawyer and human rights activist Nicole Fritz, and founding member of ‘Guns Free South Africa’, Adele Kirsten.
The assembly began with Ramokgopa outlining Rise’s objectives regarding safety and security in Gauteng. The panel then scrutinised the plan and offered suggestions on possible ways to improve the proposed policies.
Rise Mzansi’s plan to address safety and security in Gauteng. Infographic: Kabir Jugram
Gareth Newham spoke of the importance of addressing the root causes of crime and suggested the possibility of hiring more social workers instead of police officers so the trauma behind criminality can be addressed.
Once all experts had offered their input, the discussion was then opened to the floor for citizen input, critique and query. It was here that possible policy blind spots were pointed out – such as their neglect of the LGBTQIA+ community as pointed out by a member of the floor.
In response, Ramokgopa said profit-driven incentives contribute to the culture of corruption in the police force and that heteronormative values allow impunity in addressing rape and crimes against the LGBTQI+ community.
“We are a traumatized nation that uses violence to solve problems. (So) we need to rebuild the South African family,” she said.
Furthermore, the event intended to illustrate what sets Rise apart from other parties in the run-up to the national elections in May. The party has built its brand off promising a new style of leadership to the current government- with their campaign slogan being “#WeNeed NewLeaders”.
Rise claims to offer transparent leadership that is actively involved in the communities they represent. The citizen’s assembly will resume weekly in the run-up to the election and recorded sessions are available here.
FEATURED IMAGE: Mark Heywood addresses the floor while Vuyiswa Ramokgopa examines her notes. Photo: Kabir Jugram
Chaotic scenes in Braamfontein as two men are fatally shot, another hit by a stray bullet and one is rushed to hospital.
The corner of Jorissen and Bertha streets became a crime scene on February 29, 2024, as an alleged ‘hit’ took place on the busy intersection filled with students and other passersby.
Two men were allegedly targeted while stray bullets hit two University of Johannesburg (UJ) students, one died on the scene and the other was rushed to the hospital for treatment. The students were on a bus believed to be travelling from UJ to Nukerk Student Accommodation in Hillbrow.
The two dead men, believed to be taxi owners, are moved from the BMW they were sitting in when shot at. Photo: Sfundo Parakozov
SAPS crime scene manager, Captain Vincent Saunders said: “What we know is two people were shot, these two people are taxi owners. The bus was passing by with students who accidentally got shot as the bullets crossed.” In videos shared on social media, students can be heard screaming and crying moments after the two students were hit.
Dear UJ students.
UJ saddened by the death of its student in a shooting incident
It is with profound sadness that the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has learnt of the death of its student, who was caught in crossfire during a shooting incident in Braamfontein this afternoon…
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela shortly after the incident UJ spokesperson, Herman Esterhuizen said “at this stage everything is quite chaotic,” as the university gathered more information.
In a short statement issued on Thursday evening, the university confirmed the tragic death of an “18-year-old male, [who] was a second-year student,” and the recovery of another. Students who were on the bus have been encouraged to seek out counselling services offered internally.
Eyewitnesses say they heard five gunshots in quick succession before assailants ran off and jumped into a getaway car. By the time Wits Vuvuzela got to the scene, the intersection was being cordoned off and and the three lifeless bodies had been covered with repatriation foil.
Family members of one of the deceased did not want to comment but said answers on what may have happened could be found if Wits Vuvuzela contacted Faraday Taxi Association. Calls to the association went unanswered.
FEATURED IMAGE: The body of one of the students caught in the crossfire is carried into a forensic pathology van. The student is yet to be identified. Photo: Sfundo Parakozov
Well-resourced recreational facilities are meant to serve as a haven for the youth but that’s not the case for the community of Westbury.
The Joburg west suburb, Westbury has been crying about gang violence and drugs for years on end and their cries have seemingly gone unheard. The weekend of February 25, 2023 was the start of another cycle of violence in this community, two people were killed and 11 injured as a result of gang-related violence.
Like in the previous instances of violence in Westbury, the government, this time led by Minister of Police Bheki Cele reacted through a community meeting. A platform for the community to engage and air their grievances, one community member said: “We want to work – I can tell you that. We want to do [recreational] activities – but nothing is coming to us,” reported Eyewitness News.
Recreational facilities and activities that are well-resourced and maintained can help reduce the number of youth that join gangs in marginalised communities, according to the Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development Research, which explores the link between gang participation and the exclusion from recreational facilities.
The study further added that these spaces can help reduce and prevent crime by preventing juvenile delinquency through upskilling and keeping the youth busy. When young people don’t have access to these and have grown up in a violent environment, the chances of them falling prey to gangsterism is high. The effects of poverty and not being able to get out of the cycle of poverty can have a longlasting impact from generation to generation.
“I was an eyewitness for a murder case because they shot my friend… I was unknown and this policeman gave my identity to the people that shot my friend.”
Doreen babi
The History of Westbury
A section to the south of Sophiatown became a municipal shelter location known as Western Native Township to restrict African settlement in Johannesburg after 1924 when the Native Act of 1923 was enacted. The area was named Western Coloured Township after the Group Areas Act of 1950, and then renamed Westbury in the 1960s. The spatial planning cannot be ignored in how it contributed to how the area has turned out.
Spatial planning was designed to keep people of colour away from opportunities that could better their lives, research shows that people in these areas were kept far away from the economic opportunities that could help change their fortunes.
According to Wits University professor, Clive Glaser, who studies youth culture and the history of South Africa, young men need to have a sense of belonging , a space that’s bigger than a neighbourhood where they do not feel that their manhood is blocked socially, politically and economically. When manhood can not be exercised in these ways, exerting it through violence is often the route taken.
“Apartheid planning generally has contributed to that [gang violence] when you get areas that are poor and cut off and a few opportunities for young people and gangs look like more viable life choices than going the route of education,” said Glaser.
Lerato Ndlovu being shown around on where the youth programs take place in the Westbury Transformation Development Centre. Photo: Aphelele Mbokotho
Ending Cycles of Violence follows the origins of the formation of gangs in western Johannesburg during Apartheid and focuses on three periods of what it calls “gang violence cycles”.
The first “cycle” from 1994 to 1999 was defined by extreme violence when Westbury had the highest mandrax consumption in the country and a lot of turf wars were happening and then a gang truce, which was the result of the Westbury peace process in early 1999 when gang leaders from the various gang groups met to make peace.
The second cycle, from 2000 to 2013, saw the emergence of new criminal drug lords, an increase of drugs, and a lot of protests by residents that resulted in a visit from then-president, Jacob Zuma. The third cycle, 2014 to 2018, saw an increase in murder in the area and police involvement in criminal activities.
“The gangs in the Ward have been around for decades and will continue to be unless the cycle is broken and people are able to get back on their feet and not be dependent on the drug peddlers and gangs that they become affiliated with in order to survive,” said Susan Stewart, former ward 82 councillor. Stewart was in the position for 10 years and said little has changed since her term in office.
Crime Statistics in Westbury
The crime statistics from crime hub show that the Sophiatown precinct where Westbury crimes are reported, showed an increase of almost 50 % over the last 10 years for attempted murder. Twenty seven attempted murder cases were reported in 2012 and 49 in 2022.
Drug related crimes have also been on the increase, reaching a peak in 2014/15 with 1515 cases reported. There’s been a slight increase between 2012 and 2022 where the number of cases were 906 and 1010 respectively. Murder had the highest increase over the past 10 years where the murder cases went from 12 in 2012 to 29 in 2022.
“The Crime Prevention Units and SAPS etc are not effective in dealing with the issues within the Ward and many are alleged to be involved with the syndicates, bribery and corruption and so there is very little to no hope that the situation will ever improve. To eradicate society of gang violence the justice system has to work and unfortunately, it does not. Even when arrested many of them are set free after bribing someone,” said Stewart.
Supporting this statement is a study, Ending Cycles of Violence which revealed police corruption and complicity in crime in the Western suburbs of Johannesburg.
“All the major gang bosses have police on their payroll. Some, he said, ‘are considered expendable because they can easily be replaced. Detectives are considered more important because they have access to dockets and decide who gets charged and who doesn’t,” the study revealed.
A resident of Westbury and a pastor in the community Doreen Babi, was a victim of police corruption where her identity was revealed to criminals for being a witness to a crime. “ I was an eyewitness for a murder case because they shot my friend… I was unknown and this policeman gave my identity to the people that shot my friend,” Babi recalled.
The most common area where profits from the drug economy have empowered gangs is their access to firearms. All the evidence suggests that today, influential gangs have more access to firepower than they did in the past. This is supported by the crime statistics of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition which had 22 cases 10 years ago but in 2022 the cases have increased to 61.
When asked where the youth obtained these illegal firearms, Babi adamantly said that it was from the police.
“The gangs in the Ward have been around for decades and will continue to be, unless the cycle is broken and people are able to get back on their feet and not be dependent on the drug peddlers and gangs that they become affiliated with in order to survive.”
susan stewart
What is the City of Joburg doing for Westbury?
“The COJ has always and still done superficial intervention to real problems. Window dressing as I would call it. They create programs that encourage the youth to participate with a small stipend attached for a week, sometimes a few weeks or months and if they are lucky maybe even a certificate at the end that gives them access to nothing as it goes nowhere from there because there are no jobs that will absorb them after the fact,” said Stewart.
The youth often end up where they began after the programs that the city introduces in the community which is the reason why the youth of the community are crying out for recreational activities when they are there, they just aren’t programs that are run long enough she further added.
The City of Johannesburg has been allocated 57.7 million for community development for the current year and of that money sports and recreational centre’s are allocated R215 713 as shown in the Draft Medium Term Budget 2023/24-2025/26.
In this R215 713, money is allocated to Westbury to run some youth development programs. In Westbury, there’s a facility that lives by the motto: “We replace the guns and drugs with our skills development programmmes.” Westbury Youth Centre runs a three-month job readiness program with the City of Johannesburg where each month they take 50 young people and provide computer training and conduct interview preparation, in an effort to make them employable.
“I would ask the city to extend those 3 months and fund us for a year because these programmes work but three months is not enough to run these programmes,” said Bridget Munnik, manager of the Westbury Youth Centre.
Among these facilities is the Westbury Transformation Development Centre which was recently upgraded by the Johannesburg Development Agency on behalf of the City of Johannesburg and cost the city R67 million. The centre opened in February 2019, and it offers sports and other recreational activities which they hope will empower and motivate the youth to improve their lifestyle and subsequently keep the youth off the streets.
Other services on offer include internet and computer access at the skills development facility, so people can look and apply for work.
Access to resources that focus on skills building, empowerment and the development of self-esteem is an important component in ensuring the protection of young people from the appeal of gangs.
The City of Joburg also runs programmes with I Love Robotics that cater to the vulnerable youth (12 year olds upwards). They run a Robotics programme during the April holidays which keeps these young people engaged in something interesting because it is around this age where it is reported that young people are most susceptible to influence.
This is another example of a programme which is too short, Stewart said more time would increase participants chances of employability.
The Schools in Westbury
“Keeping young people in school and enrolled in positive activities and providing proper resources, which could minimise the chances of them joining in gang violence, help them to become agents of change rather than threats in the society” reported SCielo in a study of the youth gang violence on the educational attainment and what benefits the youth get from joining gangs than being in schools.
Unfortunately for the schools in Westbury they cannot make schools a place where the learners can become these agents of change because the school premises have become a battlefield between gang members.
Carte blanche reported in May 2023 that 99% of learners in schools in Westbury aspire to become drug lords. Gang violence in this community has overflowed into the school premises and the work the school would do of having extramural activities is overshadowed by the violence that has entered the schools.
“The environment here at school currently is very volatile… The fights are normally between gang-related gangs, one gang attacking the other one because of what happened over the weekend” reported SABC News, speaking to the principal of Westbury Secondary School on how the school has become a battlefield.
Supporting this statement Munnik said: “It’s chaos at our schools, chaos because there are gangsters at the schools, especially in matric and so the two gangsters cannot see eye to eye in one school.”
The public safety Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) was reached out to, to provide insight on the safety approach to the rampant criminality in the community but no response was received from him.
FEATURE IMAGE: Painting in Westbury by a young person who has high hopes for the community. Photo: Aphelele Mbokotho
Johannesburg is famous for its fortunes and notorious for its crime. With millions in the city chasing a dream – are they adequately being kept safe?
FORTRESS JOBURG – High-raised walls with spikes and electric fencing, with surveillance from CCTV or unarmed private security guards like Cameron Fayindlala of 24/7 security – Johannesburg residents spend large amounts of money to guard themselves and their property. Photo: Seth Thorne
When the sun sets over the economic hub of South Africa, Johannesburg – do you feel safe? “No, I don’t – crime in Joburg [is] way too high,” said Rogers Risenga, a resident of Alexandra – one of the city’s hotspots for serious crimes.
He is not alone – nearly eight in ten of the 6,2 million residents are estimated to be living with constant feelings of unsafety in the city, and who can blame them? Joburg consistently tops the list where the most serious crimes are reported in Gauteng province. Hearing of or falling victim to armed robberies, home break-ins, assaults, murders, and carjackings in the city is almost a daily occurrence.
Crimes are not distributed evenly, with handfuls of areas across Joburg recording crime rates well above the city (and national) average.
Regardless, instances of crime are prevalent citywide. The City of Johannesburg (COJ) plays a crucial role in developing and implementing localised solutions to crime. They outline that crime and a lack of safety are some of the biggest challenges faced by residents. In response, a City Safety Strategy was created, but last revised in 2016/17. It outlines that the responsibility of creating a safe city does not sit solely on the shoulders of local government – but involves the whole of society.
A “multi-agency collaboration” approach has been adopted, but are they currently effective if a large majority of the residents feel so unsafe? By identifying and contextualising (some of) these different sectors, the question is asked – is everyone pulling their weight? Why? What (are just some) of the solutions if not?
Examples of crime statistics where Johannesburg consistently tops national average. Photo: Seth Thorne
Local, provincial, and national government
The national structure tasked with protecting civilians and combating crime is the South African Police Service (SAPS) – with 44 stations located in the city. SAPS has a feigning perception for a number of reasons, including but not limited to perceptions of corruption and underperformance from detective units.
This is not to discredit pockets of commendable policing work. Statistically, SAPS are short-staffed (over 80 thousand under their ideal target), poorly resourced (26% of police vehicles are not operational) and underperforming investigative capacities. “It usually takes [SAPS] three or four hours (at least) to arrive on the scene of a crime after we have contacted them,” said community policing volunteer Deidre De Carvalho.
“When cases are actually opened, they are [often] not investigated properly” – or at all, explained Lizette Lancaster, project manager at the Institute for Security Studies. A sentiment echoed by interviewees across the security sector.
SAPS were consistently contacted for comment; however, communication went cold.
At a local level, the COJ has a plan to “reduce crime by 50% in the 40 worst crime hotspots”. This will largely fall under the mandate of the department of public safety.
Interactive map highlighting Johannesburg policing precincts that record some of the highest national serious crime statistics. Map: Seth Thorne
Joburg is one of six municipalities to have their own police service – the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), established due to “high levels of crime and grime” and a “lack of confidence in policing” according to their homepage.
They “largely respond to high levels of serious crimes, like robbery and assault,” said JMPD superintendent Xolani Fihla. “We work in support of the national police – we do not have things like stations to hold suspects or crime intelligencem” he added.
Thousands of trained and armed JMPD officers are deployed by local government across the most populated municipality in South Africa to combat crime, enforce the city’s by-laws, and police traffic in the city. Photo: Seth Thorne.
Brewing in the department of public safety’s pot is the establishment of two new crime prevention and combatting units designed for serious crimes in the city. These are the JMPD armed tactical reaction unit, as well as a regional crime combatting and prevention unit. On November 10, 2023, these were officially launched by the MMC for public safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, as part of the city’s #FightingCrimeManjeNamhlanje project.
“We are going to use all means necessary to find these criminals” said Tshwaku in an interview with Newsroom Afrika. “We want to send a message with these units, that [we] will not be negotiating with criminals,” he added.
JMPD officers who “display excellent commitment to law enforcement” (according to its acting chief Angie Mokasi) have been selected to serve in the newly established crime prevention and tactical response units – a specialised targeting both serious and violent crimes across the city. Photo: Seth ThorneThe two new tactical crime units launched by the city on November 10, 2023, will (after completing specialised training) respond to “armed robberies, zama zamas, drugs, cash-in-transit heists”, and other serious crimes that would undoubtably put them in danger, but argue is worth it for the protection of the city. Photo: Seth Thorne
Apart from SAPS, JMPD partners with other security sectors like private security, crime prevention wardens, patrollers, and community policing. “Everyone needs to move together… more boots on the ground to help tackle crime,” said Fihla. In interviews with other stakeholders, they commended the responsiveness of JMPD when needed.
Additionally, in mayor Kabelo Gwamanda’s 2023 State of the Council Address, he said that the city plans on increasing the CCTV monitoring sector through partnerships with the private sector and through their own Integrated Intelligence Operations Centre (IIOC). Fihla explained that the JMPD undercover unit works closely with the IIOC, who inform them of crimes or by-law enforcement incidents that had been picked up in the control room.
Gwamanda also plans to recruit approximately 2 000 crime wardens to (as provincial police commissioner Elias Mawela describes them) “serve as the eyes and ears” of the police and JMPD.
Crime wardens have been a pervasive feature of recent provincial politics. There have been thousands of three-month trained wardens deployed as part of a R1.5 billion program announced by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi earlier this year.
The wardens make use of (sometimes armed) patrols, stop and searches and expensive equipment like drones, CCTV cameras, helicopters and fast cars. In his presentation of Gauteng’s most recent crime statistics, Mawela said that he believes it is too early to judge crime wardens’ performance.
Currently, it is facing questions about the legality of its formation, as well as accusations about these wardens having a heavy-handed approach to tackling crime – brutalizing suspects in the process. This stems from the possibility of poor crime prevention training and a lack of a vetting process in appointments.
Ultimately, all sectors are heavily reliant on the work of SAPS to see out the wheels of justice. It is only SAPS that can legally detain suspects, investigate, and open dockets of cases.
“I appeal to the leadership of SAPS [to work together with the COJ], [because] people are really in trouble and crying out about crime. The only thing that JMPD can do is to arrest, but in terms of detention, investigation, and writing of dockets, that is still the function of the SAPS. So, we must forge a relationship,” said Dr Tshwaku in his interview with Newsroom Afrika.
Noteworthy statistics of three major safety and security sectors – SAPS, JMPD and the private security – operating within Johannesburg. Infographics: Seth Thorne
Private security
A walk or drive around suburban Joburg shows the heavy investments by residents to protect themselves. From armed guards, and CCTV cameras, to high-raised walls with electric fencing.
“Classical policing functions are today being accomplished through private security rather than the police service,“ said Doraval Govender and Professor Krisandren Pillay in their critical evaluation of policing.
When trouble arises, specially trained and armed private security guards, like long-time private security guard Lawrence Mabunda of Ghost Squad Security, both prevents and is a first respondent to all sorts of serious crimes – a job he said is good in a country plagued by such high levels of unemployment. Photo: Seth Thorne
However, the cost of safety in this industry is open to the highest bidder. It is a service that prevents, picks up on, and responds to crimes committed against their clients. “Private security is expensive…People pay because they know we will be there when they call,” said Francois Marais, CEO of Randburg-based private security company Ghost Squad.
“With private security being a luxury only wealthy citizens can afford, there is a concern that this industry [could] widen the inequality gap – namely leaving those most directly affected by crime most vulnerable” said Professor Pillay, in his inaugural lecture on private security.
They work very closely with communities, sometimes at the expense of innocent individuals on the other side of the fence that residents did not like the look of and shared such on their community WhatsApp group.
Being well-resourced, private security are often first respondents to scenes.
There are also legal limitations in their duties, relying on the police force to respond efficiently if a crime is suspected to have or has been committed. But, after interviews with multiple security providers, this has (largely) not been the case.
“A couple of my employees (security guards) were held hostage by criminals. To this day police have not even taken statements,” said Eben Hulley, head of E&B Guarding, a private security company that operates in Johannesburg south.
The widely popular Munro Drive viewpoint in Upper-Houghton, became an increasingly dangerous stop as criminals target those preoccupied with the view – thus residents increased the presence of private security in the area, with long-time guard Terminator included, to curb crime in the area. Photo: Seth Thorne
Employment in the private security sector is continuously increasing, with security guards like Michael Hove, working for decades in keeping a watchful eye over the street that he is employed in. Photo: Seth Thorne
Community volunteering
Crime most affects communities themselves, and thus the public is critical in combatting it. They are better informed about what is happening around them and more willing to protect their areas.
“We want to use the broken window theory – getting rid of visible crime will discourage more crime from being committed,” said Community Policing Forum (CPF) member, Deidre De Carvalho.
CPFs were set up to build a working relationship between the national police and communities. Volunteers, like De Carvalho joined “to take ownership and start protecting [their] community”.
They work with other residents, private security, patrollers/guards who are registered with CPFs, and governmental security agencies. They perform patrols and consistent communication with the mentioned partners to locate, prevent and intervene in crime – working with the police station of their area. These are similar to the functions of neighbourhood watch groups.
Volunteers wanting to protect their communities work with the police as part of community policing forums (CPFs) – a job that Zanele Zwane (left) and Thokozile Tshabangu (right) who work with the Jabulani police station in Soweto say is worth every risk because they say if they are not involved in safety – who would be? Photo: Seth Thorne
When it comes the working relationships, “It depends on how good the SAPS station commander is, as some are extremely keen on working with other sectors like private security – but others refuse… luckily our station commander is good with that,” said De Carvalho.
Like all other sectors, these groups face legal limitations in how they can respond to crime and their effectiveness lies in the responsiveness of other security sectors. They rely on governmental security services to respond when a crime has been identified. “CPFs and security companies are guaranteed to get there before SAPS,” said De Carvalho. “We have to cordon areas off for hours until SAPS arrives.”
Areas that largely cannot afford private security, with less prominent CPFs and underperformance of other security sectors sees a rise of, as Lancaster describes, “self-help groups” of people carrying weapons to feel safer and protect their areas.
However, these sometimes morph into vigilante or criminal extortion groups of their own – charging/extorting protection money from the community. These arise because “police are seen as absent and cannot be trusted” by residents said Lancaster.
Research shows that if the public trusts the police and feels that they are fair, people are more likely to comply, report crimes and share crucial information that would be of use for police investigations and tip-offs. However, there is a trust deficit between the public and the national police force.
Safety policies at the national level coincide greatly with local and provincial public policies. These have included increased budgetary spending, more boots on the ground and aggressive policing approaches. Aggressive policing strategies can strain the trust between government law enforcement and communities.
Governmental agencies have been documented brutalising communities because of these aggressive policing policies stemming from political focuses. “Doing a raid on informal traders is not going to stop crime because you are taking food out the mouths of their families” explained Lancaster.
“If [these policies] are done correctly, people may feel safe… but they are often done badly leading people to mistrust law enforcement”.
lizette lancaster
Every single possession belonging to these families covers this street in the Johannesburg CBD as police conduct a raid of an alleged hijacked building – a prevalent issue on the agenda of Johannesburg police. Photo: Seth Thorne
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith-based organisations, research bodies etc.
Numerous organisations play important roles in safety through research, data collection and analysis for the public. One such research organisation is the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), which assists the COJ in the formation of its safety strategy.
An important part of tackling crime is understanding where and when crimes occur to create targeted policing. However, as Lancaster describes, the politicization of crime statistics has made it difficult to collect accurate data to pinpoint and combat crime.
The trust deficit can be seen in fewer victims of crime reporting them to police. Johannesburg proudly boasts a 62% decrease in recorded sexual assault crimes since 2005/6. However, this rather represents a declining confidence in reporting such cases to the police or a lack of responsiveness – not in the crime itself.
“Politicians… and worse yet the police are scared that they will be judged and punished – which leads to terribly perverse incentives. Especially sexual violence, people are not reporting it because (apart from stigmatisation) police actively dissuade [victims] because they are scared that they are going to be criticised and disciplined for [recording high crime statistics in their precinct],” explained Lancaster.
A way forward
As shown, numerous agencies work hard to counter crime. As more boots are put on the ground in other sectors, legally, all rely on the national police force to respond timeously and effectively for justice to run its course in both accusations and actual crimes. However, constraints and underperformance at SAPS illustrated by the responses indicate that this is often not the case.
David Bruce, a South African criminology expert, calls for police to implement less nationally focused policing strategies. Delegating some policing powers to provincial and municipal police departments could greatly help curb crime because there are “major variations in how violence is distributed across the city”.
Additionally, there needs to be an improvement in the overall responsiveness of SAPS to scenes, as well as the effectiveness of their investigations.
Curbing crime involves the whole of society and policies should reflect that. To involve society, the working relationship, as well as the trust deficit between police, communities, and other actors, need to be improved to allow for more accurate data to be recorded, and better police intelligence.
Overall – there are many actors and partnerships that are crucial to curbing crime – all with their pros and cons. An incohesive working relationship between them both impacts crime and hinders justice. This mostly affects the everyday residents, like Rogers Risenga, who live in worry about the high levels of crime in the city. Working together can change that.
FEATURED IMAGE:
National and metropolitan police cars fill this leafy street in Cyrildene as police conduct raids targeting illegal businesses allegedly operating in the area. Photo: Seth Thorne
South Point residence mum on an incident that took place at one of their parties, raising serious concerns about the management’s response to the safety and security of students.
It’s been a little over a month since an alarming incident unfolded at a Retro Block Party hosted by South Point, where students were stubbed while others had their phones stolen. However, management at the student residence has not made any headway in finding the culprits.
According to one of the witnesses, on the night of the party, April 28, 2023, intruders gained access to the party by paying an entrance fee like anyone else. The party was hosted in one of the South Point buildings, 87 Juta in Braamfontein.
While mingling and dancing, students suddenly heard screams and saw cell phones being stolen. The security officer was called, and the suspected intruders were removed from the party. Angry victims then followed them outside to try fight for their belongings.
What these partygoers did not know was that the intruders had additional team members waiting outside – a scuffle ensued, and some students were stabbed in the process.
The party is an annual event, and this year’s party was designed to commemorate South Point’s 20th anniversary, and it is reported to have begun at 17h00 in the evening.
Wits Vuvuzela spoke to workers at South Point about the incident, but they did not want to be named in fear of retribution from their employer.
“Yes, I heard about a boy who was stabbed, but I can’t say much about it because I don’t know what’s going on, and management doesn’t tell us anything,” said the worker.
Wits Vuvuzela contactedSouth Point manager Mahlodi Mathiba, who was not aware of the incident. “Unfortunately, I don’t know anything but let me refer you to the student liaising who should know”, the manager said.
The manager then referred us to the student liaising officer, Brenda Sambo who said she was aware of the situation but was uncertain about the facts. What the student liaising said is that “I don’t really know the story, the only thing I know is that students’ phones were stolen, and they ran after the suspects only to get stabbed”.
One of the witnesses, Ngwato Mashile (22), said they have been left traumatised by the incident. “I was hurt, it really affected me because those people aimed for sensitive parts without even looking where they were stabbing, and I thought the students were dead, and I’m still traumatized because the screams keep replaying in my head,” he said.
Mashile, like other witnesses and even the victims have thus far not received any kind of assistance from their landlord.
RELATED FEATURED: Outside the residence in question, 87 Juta. Photo: Patience Masalesa
Africa’s Gold Mafia made up of self-proclaimed prophets, diplomats and gangsters caught in 4K smuggling gold and ‘washing money’.
A four-part investigative documentary produced and aired on news channel, Al Jazeera, has blown the lid on a syndicate that facilitates well-orchestrated money laundering services for criminals. The first episode, The Laundry Service, aired on March 23, 2023 and new episodes have come out every week since.
The documentary took two years of investigation and much of it hinged on the undercover work of three reporters, who relied on hidden cameras and microphones to catch those implicated red-handed.
Leading the investigative unit (iUnit) is ‘Mr Stanley’, a Chinese gangster in search of money laundering services. Then there’s ‘Jonny’ (or the Hawala Man) a black-market trader who moves money across borders without using banks. And lastly, ‘Ms. Sin’, Mr Stanley’s financial advisor.
The first episode profiles Kamlesh Pattni, a pastor who classifies himself as Brother Paul, and the founder of Hope International. Using his pious cover, Pattni manages to get close to several African presidents and ‘work with them’ on a number of shady deals.
Pattni’s greed is bolstered by his political connections, which enable him to get exceptional licenses to export gold from country to country. Just when it seemed the authorities might be onto him and prosecute him for his crimes, particularly stealing taxpayers’ money, he relocated to Zimbabwe from Kenya.
Pattni does not work alone, his accomplices include Ewan Macmillan and Alistair Mathias. Macmillan has been in and out of prison countless times from the age of 21. He stands accused of smuggling gold worth R436 million through an untraceable bank account in Dubai.
The more unassuming of the two, Mathias, earned his gold smuggling stripes in Ghana and as the group’s ‘financial architect’, builds money laundering schemes for corrupt politicians and criminals.
What stays with the viewer beyond the shocking revelations, is the lengths the iUnit journalists went to, to expose all of the things done behind closed doors. It successfully tracks the illicit and seemingly commonplace way corruption robs resource rich nations of their riches.
The documentary comes to show how even people who claim to be prophets cannot be trusted, as seen through Pattni and Prophet Uebert Angel, a Zimbabwean diplomat who uses his government post to facilitate gold smuggling.
Investigative journalism of this kind clearly still has a place and purpose in exposing wrongdoing and holding people to account. All the episodes are free to stream on Al Jazeera’s YouTube channel.
Vuvu rating: 7/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Al Jazeera Gold Mafia Cover. Photo: Screenshot/AlJazeera YouTube
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The road to responsibility is one that we are all bound to take, and it comes with its negatives and positives.For me to come back to Johannesburg,wasadecision that was based on events that acted as a double-edged sword in my life.
Reflecting only on the bad experiences andtelling myself that I would notcomeback to Johannesburg, I did not consider any life lessons to be drawn from the experiences. However, being back in the city and being able to do almost everything I wanted to do in 2017, I can see that the past experience has equipped me to adapt way better the second time around.
Growing up in Evaton West, a township in the Vaal Triangle whereopportunities for the youth are few and a place the government couldn’t care less about, led me to consider moving to Johannesburg, where I thought I could kickstart my career as a photographer.
The younger me back then did not understand how to manoeuvre in the streets of Joburg, who to interact with and who to trust. I was enrolled at an institution named iCollege.
Having to travel to the Johannesburg CBD from the Vaal, some days I would squat at my classmate’s dorm as I did not have transport money.Travelling by Metrorail was another traumatic experience, as I would be forced to ride outside when the train was full, praying the whole time that I would make it home alive.
This ended up being a waste of my money and time because after completing the qualification it turned out that the college was not accredited for the course.
This harsh experience, plus getting mugged on my way to Park Station and getting scammed of money and a phone in a banking queue, taught me a lot about Johannesburg. It’s what I see as a double-edged sword in my life, as these experiences broke me and, at the same time, built me.
What made these experiences more traumatic was not having family to support me. I told myself that I would be better off completing my degree in the Vaal or another city or province, far away from Johannesburg.
The city initiated me in a year to know how the world can be a cold place and that you are responsible for your own happiness in life. What I wished the younger me to have seen is that in whatever situation life places you, there is always a lesson, even in the mayhem. However, as the tinnybuddah website says: “Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn’t know the things you know now.”
My achievements from 2018 to 2020, which include acquiring a BA in communication from North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus, were a result of the hardships I experienced the first time I came to study in Joburg. Today I see the city of gold through a different lens, as a hub for creatives in the artistic fields that I desire to be part of, as well as an opportunity to study at one of the biggest universities in Africa.
The diversity in culture, lifestyle and way of doing things as I perceive it now is more unifying of various cultures to bring a different taste of life to the city and introduce a new culture. I gained this new perspective while travelling in and around the city taking pictures, and I found that I could be part of that new culture.
The Alfonso that is here today came back because of what the younger me experienced and what the younger me gained, which has made me the person I am proud to be today. I am no longer afraid of the city and now understand that life may not go as planned, but through all that, I should keep my chin up. Now I can honestly say, I have been through the most and I am ready for what life keeps bringing to the table, instead of running back home as I did before.
Will we ever have peace and friendship within and across our borders? In this episode of We Should Be Writing, the Vuvu team takes on the final promise of the Freedom Charter: There shall be peace and friendship. We unpack how this vision clashes with the growing issue of xenophobia in South Africa today. Our guests […]
