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INSIGHT: South Africa’s big mafia problem is getting worse

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In the vibrant heart of Cape Town, a menacing shadow economy looms over various enterprises, including spaza shops, bustling nightclubs, construction projects, and transportation companies. Within this clandestine realm, individuals and businesses alike find themselves facing exorbitant demands for money, services, and goods that exceed legitimate channels. According to a study by Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC)the rise of extortion in Cape Town can be attributed to both local and national factors, with a significant influence stemming from the city's long-standing history of gangsterism. The COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 significantly curtailed extortion revenue for criminal organizations, as business closures and curfews disrupted their operations. However, as restrictions were gradually lifted, extortion activities exhibited a marked increase in both aggressiveness and frequency due to the following key factors: The co
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NEWS: Govt must focus on resilient infrastructure – expert

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An expert in infrastructure damage says the government should focus on developing infrastructure that can withstand the effects of climate change.


Professor Mohamed Mostafa has been speaking after parts of KZN were battered by another devastating storm. 

The UKZN civil engineering lecturer says Tuesday's storm showed us, once again, that we need to rebuild infrastructure that can survive harsh weather conditions.

"Resilient infrastructure means that we need to consider nature-based solutions, like producing more green spaces. 

"When we are rebuilding, we use materials which are capable of resisting the extreme weather conditions - not just restoring the current status and of cause, this will need some changes in design, codes and manuals." 

Four people were killed in eThekwini and Ugu. 

Many families, who lost their homes, have been staying at community halls. 

Motsafa says Tuesday's storm exposed gaps in the rebuilding processes after last year's floods. 

"We did nothing new, we are just preparing and we are still in the process of repairing the damage that took place last year. 

"One thing I talked about last year is that we shouldn't rush the repairs we should think of when it comes to infrastructure like roads and bridges, we should rethink is it right to repair and rebuild them in the same location or is it worthy to look into doing a complete demolition for that location and build the infrastructure in a different location where it is not that susceptible to climate change effects." 

The source of this hardhatNEWS is ECR

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