How organised crime is blighting South Africa’s economy
The withering of the state has led to the blossoming of the underworld—and vice versa
Last year Gold Fields announced it would start building a solar plant to help power South Deep, one of the largest gold mines in the world. Soon afterwards, the South African mining firm got messages from several self-styled “business forums”, a euphemism belying their real interest: extortion. The forums demanded a cut of the contract to construct the plant. They followed up with texts to employees and unauthorised visits to the mine, which lies just outside Johannesburg.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The murky side of the rainbow nation”
From the October 22nd 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
Israel’s army adopts a high-stakes new strategy: more terrain
It remains present inside Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank
The sea is swallowing an African island
In Sierra Leone, adjusting to a warmer climate is getting harder
In a dictator’s palace, Syrians debate a new constitution
Ahmed al-Sharaa will soon have to reveal how sincere he is about the new, inclusive Syria
Could political upheaval hit Jordan next?
Resurgent Islamists and chaos in the West Bank may threaten Jordan’s king
Israel and Hamas have something in common
They both want to avoid a ceasefire collapse, for a few more weeks
How to make cash in Africa’s coup belt
Mining multinationals are learning to do business with juntas