For over 15 years, Abahlali baseMjondolo has warned about the gangsterism infiltrating municipal politics in Durban. At first, many in the middle class dismissed these claims, shielded from the corruption spreading through the political system.
It wasn’t until Jacob Zuma and the Gupta brothers’ kleptocracy became undeniable that people began to see the problem. However, media focus on personalities—rather than deep analysis—obscured the full scale of the issue. State capture wasn’t just a top-down scheme; it also thrived from the bottom up, as individuals exploited politics for personal gain, undermining democracy.
Some saw this as an extension of the liberation struggle, but in reality, it was a predatory system that diverted public funds meant for housing and hospitals into private pockets. Under Zuma, governance shifted dramatically. Instead of trying to eliminate informal settlements, local politicians sought to control them—profiting from land sales, rentals, and development tenders. In some cases, ANC councillors even encouraged land invasions to expand their power and wealth.
Repression turned deadly, with hired assassins targeting those who stood in the way of these schemes. Even after Zuma’s fall, the criminal networks persisted, spreading through government and business. Today, extortion and mafia-style operations are common in construction, trucking, and other sectors. The lines between politics and crime have blurred, with devastating consequences.
Public funds siphoned into patronage networks have led to crumbling infrastructure and failing services, once limited to small towns but now plaguing major cities. Violence, long endured by activists, now threatens whistleblowers, prosecutors, and business owners who resist corruption.
Fixing this won’t be easy. Many join the ANC for personal gain, not principle. New parties emerging as the ANC weakens aren’t necessarily better—coalition politics can enable corruption. The idea of MK Party or groups like the EFF controlling budgets is alarming, given their track records.
Internationally, countries like Jamaica, Mexico, and India show how deeply criminal politics can take root. But progress is possible. Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador have reduced violence, while Kerala and Uruguay have curbed political crime through reforms. Italy’s anti-mafia efforts prove that change is possible with strong public and political will.
South Africa must act fast. Better financial oversight, stronger law enforcement, and reduced reliance on tenders are crucial. But most importantly, we need a cultural shift—recognizing that stealing public money harms society, especially the poor. We must reject the glorification of wealth built on corruption and revive a politics committed to the common good.
The time to act is now—before the crisis deepens further.
