South Africa Ranks 7th Globally for Organised Crime, Madlanga Commission Hears
- Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime Executive Director Dr Mark Shaw testified before the Madlanga Commission on South Africa's organised crime ranking
- Shaw drew on research from 193 countries to place South Africa seventh globally, citing homicide rates that surpass those of Colombia and Mexico
- Gqeberha ranked third in the world among cities most affected by territorial gang violence, according to Shaw's testimony
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SOUTH AFRICA — Expert testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has placed South Africa among the most severely affected countries in the world when it comes to organised crime, with the nation ranked seventh globally out of 193 countries surveyed.
Dr Mark Shaw, Executive Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), delivered the ranking during his appearance before the commission on 2 September 2026. His testimony was reported by journalist Pule Letshwiti-Jones on the same day that the Commission showed pictures of the alleged members of the Big 5 cartel.
South Africa's homicide rate surpasses Colombia and Mexico
Shaw told the commission that South Africa's homicide rates exceed those of Colombia and Mexico, drawing a closer resemblance to violence patterns currently seen in Ecuador. He attributed much of the country's violent crime to long-standing, deeply entrenched gangs and organised criminal networks that have taken root over decades. The GI-TOC director noted that these criminal operations disproportionately affect marginalised communities and that repeated state interventions have failed to address the root causes driving the violence.
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Gqeberha and Cape Town among worst affected
Shaw's testimony pointed to specific urban centres bearing the brunt of territorial gang violence. Gqeberha was ranked third globally among cities most severely affected by territorial homicide boundaries, placing it alongside some of the world's most dangerous urban environments. Cape Town was also cited as a city where gang territoriality significantly shapes patterns of violent crime.
Shaw linked South Africa's poor standing to systemic challenges, including state capture and the infiltration of criminal networks into state institutions, issues that form part of the Madlanga Commission's broader investigative mandate. The commission is examining the interventions required to reduce criminal infiltration within South Africa's justice system, and Shaw's GI-TOC research provided a global comparative framework for understanding the scale of the challenge facing the country.
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Political hits on the rise
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the alarming rise of political killings in South Africa as the country approaches local elections, with a senior researcher revealing that 26 individuals have died in suspected political assassinations since January 2026. As the prevalence of violence in political contestations escalates, experts warn that the normalization of such acts could undermine the foundations of democracy in the nation.
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Source: Briefly News
