The Madlanga Commission has heard that growing links between politics and the criminal underworld have been identified as major national security threats.
Acting Coordinator of the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC), Dr Ntandazo Sifolo told the Commission that the threats became particularly evident during the 2021 local government elections, when political murders and intimidation became increasingly prevalent.
Citing NICOC’s 2022 intelligence estimate, Dr Sifolo says the trend contributed to high levels of insecurity across the country.
He adds that national intelligence structures were tasked with investigating and neutralising politically motivated crimes and killings as a national intelligence priority.
“A matter of concern to the national intelligence structures has been the intertwining between politics and the criminal underworld, leading to high levels of insecurity in the country. This threat became more pronounced during the local government election of 2021, where murder and intimidation in the name of politics threatened to become a norm. It remains the duty of national intelligence structures to ensure the conditions of safety and security in order to allow a thriving economic and stable environment,” adds Dr Sifolo.