Although organised criminal groups have been active in South Africa for many decades, it was only in 1991 that the South African authorities decided to address organised crime as a distinct phenomenon that required specific operational and legislative measures to combat it. The period of political and constitutional transformation that South Africa witnessed during the early 1990s provided both indigenous and international criminal groups with opportunities to expand their criminal activities. While the state focussed on developing new policies and transforming existing state structures, organised criminal groups were quick to exploit the indecisiveness of transition and the opportunities presented by a more "open" South Africa. Consequently organised crime expanded significantly during the past decade.

In response, the South African State declared organised crime to be a priority crime and provided additional resources for the police to combat it. New initiatives, involving far-reaching legislative and operational measures, were devised in an attempt to combat it more effectively. Policy and decision makers took these initiatives without the benefit of research that could assist them in weighing up alternatives.

In the Southern African context, organised crime, and particularly transnational organised crime, also expanded significantly during the past decade. South Africa and other SADC countries have become known as international transit routes for narcotics and other illicitly obtained goods. Again, very little research and information is available about the nature, extent, and impact of organised crime in the Southern African Region.

Through research, comment, facilitation, and interaction with all relevant role players, the Organised Crime and Corruption Programme of the ISS, and the organised crime projects that form part of it, aim to contribute to a better understanding of organised crime in Southern Africa and the development of more effective measures to combat it. The Programme currently manages three organised crime projects:

SADC Organised Crime Project: A study of organised crime and legislation that could be used against such crime in the Southern African Region. It is funded by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and the European Union.



SADC Criminal Networks: A Threat Assessment: A project, funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, to study the penetration of state and private sector structures by organised criminal groups in Southern Africa.



Combating Money laundering in the SADC Region: A one-year applied policy research and facilitation project funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). It commenced on 1 December 2001 and will cover 13 SADC states.



Organised Crime in South Africa: An applied research project into organised crime in South Africa. The project forms a component of a larger ISS project which the EU is funding over a three-year period.