Organised crime and criminal governance in Cape Town and Dakar

Date: 2014-08-27

Time: 11:00 to 13:00

Venue: Conference room , ISS Pretoria

RSVP: Monique de Graaff
Phone: +27 12 346 9500
Email: [email protected]

Between 2011 and 2014, the Institute for Security Studies conducted an in-depth study to better understand the growing phenomenon of criminal governance and organised crime in two African cities: Dakar and Cape Town.

The study’s premise is that in an increasingly urbanising and globalising world, the division of functions between state and non-state actors is becoming less distinct. Non-state actors, including criminal gangs, have gradually established themselves as parallel authorities in many cities through coercion as well as by providing services and supporting livelihoods. These criminal structures provide distinct forms of authority that flourish when governance is weak or ineffective, but at the same time still depend on the legitimacy of the state.

To examine these dynamics, the ISS project mapped criminal governance and developed illustrative case studies of various criminal enterprises in Dakar and Cape Town. This seminar will share the key findings of this research project, with a focus on organised crime in Cape Town. This three-year research project was made possible with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Project publications will be available at the seminar.

Chair: Cheryl Frank, head, Transnational Threats and International Crime division, ISS Pretoria

Speakers:

• Charles Goredema, research consultant, ISS
• Dr Derica Lambrechts, lecturer and research associate, Stellenbosch University
• Khalil Goga, researcher, Transnational Threats and International Crime division, ISS Pretoria