Challenges faced by the government in addressing organised crime in South Africa: a policy framework analysis

Abstract

South Africa has experienced an exponential increase in organized crime over the past decade. The government has implemented strategies to combat organised crime, however, the lack of institutional strength, corruption, and cooperation among agencies have hindered their efforts. A growing debate is on whether socioeconomic uncertainties and instability are responsible for the growth of organized crime. The objective of this paper was to explore the challenges faced by the government to address organised crime in South Africa with a focus on the policy framework and the intent of government institutions to address this phenomenon. The study used the Social Disorganised Theory to explore whether the rise in organized crime can be attributed to social instability, economic deprivation, and lack of social cohesion which in turn influences individuals to engage in criminal activities. The methodology adopted in this paper is qualitative and data was collected using secondary sources and materials. The findings indicate that organised crime is increasing in South Africa and across borders due to the lack of political will, management, expertise, and skills of law enforcement agencies to fight organised crime. The findings also indicate that there is an increase in corruption within agencies mandated to carry out the portfolios of fighting and reducing organised crime leading to a subsequent illusion that policies and security are insufficient and unstable. The study argues that to combat organised crime in South Africa, the government must address issues such as inter alia, lack of political will, corruption, lack of institutional capacity and lack of collaboration through the proposed nine steps model.