I can’t shake the feeling of betrayal.
The Minister of Intelligence, Siyabonga Cwele’s wife has been implicated in an international drug trafficking scandal.
The former South African Police Commissioner, former president of Interpol Jackie Selebi is now incarcerated in Pretoria Central Prison serving a 15 Year sentence for corruption.
What was his input, advice, influence and motive in Government‘s decision to disband (SANAB) South African Narcotics Bureau?
Our very own Central Drug Authority who report to Parliament are suggesting in agreement with other European Union Countries and Latin American countries to apply a strategy called “harm reduction” measures. This strategy considers elements such as legalising Cannabis (Dagga, Marijuana) and assistance with needle exchanges.
This strategy would encourage drug use and abuse that will enslave many more thousands of addicts adding to the states growing social burden.
Belgium and Holland’s liberal drug laws have returned to haunt them, and challenge these countries efforts to curb drug abuse and the growth of organised crime
Very few drugs in South Africa during eighties and early nineties:
During the late 80’s and early 90’s the only drugs being used in South Africa were Dagga / Mandrax and alcohol.
20 years later any one can buy TIK, heroin, cocaine, crack and any other hard drugs on the streets in plain view without fear of arrest, drugs are no longer sold in dark alleys or behind locked doors our school children are exposed to drugs on school grounds.
South Africa’s porous Borders:
A 1997 study noted that South Africa’s 97 points of entry, 17 were manned by SAPS, Customs and immigration and 33 airports are not covered by any of these agencies.
As soon as the ANC – regime closed down SANAB which had successfully kept down drug trafficking before 1994, South Africa quickly turned into a trading and transit route for the world wide Drug cartels and organised Crime syndicates resulting in increased Weapons Dealing, Human Trafficking, Prostitution, other criminal activities within our borders.
Over 250 international criminal cartels now operate openly in South Africa, from Chinese triads to Nigerian, Russian and South American drug smugglers.
Yet in 1987, South Africa’s only problems with drugs were linked to the indigenous marijuana trade (dagga) and mandrax, imported from India.
There was hardly any cocaine; no heroin, no amphetamines, no methamphetamines (TIK) nor any of the hard drugs now sold at most street corners.
There was a low level of drug-addiction among youngsters, who were addicted to dagga.
The latest statistics from SACENDU record that of the youth under the age of 20 years in treatment centres, 14% are from the East Cape and 28% from Natal.
There is a reported increase in HIV infections amongst these youth.
South Africa has declined into a criminal drug haven with hundreds of thousands of drug-addicted victims. This catastrophe stems from the incredibly naïve decision by politicians to dismantle the Narcotics Bureau in 2004.
A SANAB report at that time states:
“According to a recent DEA report, Nigerian groups are major traffickers in both heroin and cocaine in South Africa: “Since 1993, 60,000 Nigerian citizens have moved to the Johannesburg/Pretoria area, particularly Johannesburg’s inner-city, high-rise suburb of Hillbrow. Many enter South Africa as tourists, illegally obtain South African identification books, and then apply for South African passports. Some have claimed South African citizenship through political asylum”
“Many of these individuals have no visible means of support, yet are living very affluent lifestyles.”
Law-abiding Nigerians are, of course, unhappy with the international reputation for drug trafficking and fraud that the nation’s active criminal minority has attracted. Whether the stigmatisation is fair or not, the threat is real and growing. Jonathan Winer, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, told a Congressional committee in September that Nigerian enterprises were organised and active in at least 60 countries worldwide. “They are adaptable, polycrime organisations. They launder money in Hong Kong; buy cocaine in the Andes, run prostitution and gambling rings in Spain and Italy, and corrupt legitimate business in Great Britain. South African authorities have advised the US of their deep concern over Nigerian criminal penetration of the entire Southern African region, including heroin and cocaine trafficking, fraud, car theft, alien smuggling and gang activities.”
Solution:
- The solution is to reinstitute the South African Narcotics Bureau of 80’s and early 90’s.
- Recall and retrain a professional, well equipped intelligence outfit that is allowed to operate across international boundaries in order to obtain pre-emptive intelligence and act even before the drugs hit the South African borders.
- Renew and extend cooperation with other intelligence agencies from around the world in generating crime intelligence that is crucial and required, specifically in regard to the illegal drug trade.
- The Reinstating of a Specialised Drug Unit Narcotics Bureau to fight street level drug use, abuse and dealing.
According to some observers of the situation in South Africa, training and good police work is not enough by themselves. The criminal justice system in its entirety must work well or effective law enforcement techniques will not be enough.
The establishment of laws that authorise conspiracy investigations, promote criminal asset seizure and forfeiture and prohibit money laundering, for example, would allow police to employ the more sophisticated types of investigative techniques that have been used successfully against organised crime in some other countries. Some of this legislation, modelled on those laws but adapted to South Africa’s needs, has already been proposed.
The judicial system must also have the procedural capacity to successfully prosecute, convict and imprison guilty criminals even when they have enormous legal capacity at their disposal. Incompetent or corrupt officials must be identified and properly dealt with by a strong internal control system.
In addition, priorities based on sound information must be established. Veteran law enforcement officials from abroad refer to South Africa as a “target-rich environment,” meaning that there are a lot of criminals, or targets, for law enforcement to go after. The problem with such an environment is that government can quickly squander its limited crime fighting resources and achieve only marginal results if they use them to pursue highly elusive or unimportant targets.
An example of this might be using the entire reinstituted SANAB force, including its undercover agents, to arrest all the petty dealers in Central and Gelvandale. Arrest statistics would rise temporarily, a few of the dealers would be successfully prosecuted, and all of the agents’ covers would be blown.
The only way law enforcement can “work smart” in a target-rich environment is to have enough information to identify the size and nature of the threat, assess its consequences, and design an effective strategy to impose the most damage on the criminal organisation at the least relative cost and risk of failure.
Going after syndicate leaders and financiers is one method used successfully against the Cali drug cartel in Colombia.
The South African Revenue Services would be a valuable partner in putting a stop to organised crimes cancerous growth.
John Preller
Sign the petition to re-instate SANAB:
[emailpetition id=”2″]
John Preller
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There were plenty of drugs available in the late 80s and early 90s. Anyone who claims otherwise is full of it. Clearly in spite of their thug tactics SANAB were not stopping the drug trade. They were failing just like every other drug agency in the world. In fact the only viable measure is total legalisation and regulation. Some European countries have been taking very successful baby steps in this direction. In one of their rare smart moves the government realised after ten years of wasting money on the SANAB goon squad that they served no useful purpose. Let’s hope they never bring it back.
You’re an idiot !!!