According to the police, The Firm is an indigenous criminal organisation operating from the Western Cape which, although it cannot be equated with them, shows close similarities to some of the well-known American mafia groups. No effective prosecutions of the leaders of The Firm have taken place and many details relating to its modus operandi and sphere of influence could therefore not be obtained. It is run and dominated by a ‘godfather’ figure, Bob Richards,37 who has made a fortune out of lucrative dealings in narcotics over many years.38 Starting off as a junior member of a Cape Flats gang, with a spell in prison and consequent membership of one of the well-known prison gangs, Richards is now one of the most powerful syndicate leaders in South Africa. The Firm provides an example of how the successful exploits of a once small-time gang leader can develop into a very sophisticated and well-structured criminal organisation which supplies narcotics on a nationwide basis.

Richards, who is the undisputed leader of The Firm, has focused on dealing with drugs for many years. His syndicate developed a dominant position in the Western Cape to the extent that other gangs and syndicates felt increasingly threatened by his grip on drug supply and distribution lines. This led to violence and instances of attacks by rival gang or syndicate members on members of The Firm. Some of these attacks were specifically aimed at robbing drugs from members of The Firm. As a result, an understanding was reached between Richards and some of the top gang leaders in the Western Cape about ways to co-operate with each other without causing conflict. A key element of this ‘truce’ agreement was that Richards would also supply drugs directly to some of the gangs or syndicates concerned to enable them to deal with the distribution. The hope was that this arrangement would enable Richards to continue without threatening the territory or influence of some of the other syndicates. A network, in which The Firm was by far the dominating group, was therefore created. This domination, which was based on his virtual monopoly over the supply of drugs in the province, was exercised through a well-developed structure.

Richards has six deputies who are called ‘generals’. Each general is a trusted friend and associate of Richards’ with long experience in the criminal world, particularly relating to illegal drugs such as Mandrax and cocaine. Each of the generals is responsible for similar tasks, that is the acquisition and distribution (wholesale) of narcotics on behalf of The Firm. The generals, however, are responsible for different geographic areas where they take full charge on behalf of The Firm. One general may have the West Coast as his area of operation while another would be allocated the area around George, Mosselbaai and Knysna. In this way, The Firm has infiltrated the entire Western Cape with its operators.

The generals depend on the skills and experience of those working under them, referred to as members of their ‘combat group’ or gevegsgroep in Afrikaans. Each general is therefore in charge of a combat group which consists of six or more individuals, each of whom have special skills that enable their general to run his region as effectively and profitable as possible. The individual members of the combat group specialise either in the acquisition of narcotics, the distribution, or in their safe storage or transport. Others may have a special knowledge about local circumstances and about local criminal groups through whom the distribution can take place.

The Firm does not have a general membership, such as that of most gangs in the Western Cape, including some of the larger gangs mentioned above. Ordinary members, normally referred to in the Western Cape as manskappe or ‘troops’ would complicate the work of The Firm. Its activities take place at a more elevated level. The Firm prefers to act as a wholesaler rather than as a retailer. The generals, and not Richards in person, supply other gang leaders associated with The Firm, as well as syndicates throughout the country, with drugs for them to channel further down the distribution line. This does not mean that some of the larger gangs in the Western Cape do not have other independent supply sources for illegal drugs. In country areas such as the West Coast, the particular general in charge and his combat group, of necessity, will have to interact with smaller gangs and criminal groups to ensure effective distribution and market control.

Western Cape police are of the view that The Firm is one of the most powerful syndicates in South Africa, not in terms of its number of members, but in terms of its turnover, its market share in the distribution of illegal narcotics, the geographical areas in which it is the dominant supplier, and the contacts it has in various government departments, including the police and the Department of Justice. According to the police, no other gang or syndicate in the Western Cape has a structure which comes close to approximating that of The Firm. Most gangs still operate under the leadership of a strong gang leader although some of the larger gangs have also started to structure themselves in a way which makes provision for generals, combat groups and troops in recent years.