Untitled Document

This report assesses the legislative and institutional frameworks for combating organised crime across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, specifically evaluating their alignment with the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (Palermo Convention) signed in December 2000.

• The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime, signed in Palermo in December 2000, aims to establish domestic law standards for combating organised crime and eliminate legal disparities to facilitate transnational mutual assistance. Most SADC member states signed the convention, but ratification requires the prior harmonisation of domestic laws and institutional arrangements.
• South Africa has implemented a comprehensive legislative approach through the Prevention of Organised Crime Act of 1998, which criminalises membership in criminal gangs and racketeering. The state has reported the elimination of 366 organised crime groups and the prosecution of 233 syndicate leaders.
• In Zimbabwe, the Prevention of Corruption Act is limited by the fact that the president is not subject to the law. Furthermore, the Attorney-General's discretion in prosecutions has led to a lack of prosecutions in high-profile cases involving the manipulation of tender processes.
• Tanzania possesses some of the region's longest-standing laws against organised crime, including the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act of 1984 and the Proceeds of Crime Act of 1991. However, the auxiliary infrastructure required to monitor suspicious money-laundering transactions is often non-existent.
• Namibia lacks a single statute dedicated to organised crime or money-laundering but uses various legislative instruments. A significant challenge is the absence of simplified extradition arrangements with neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa, despite Namibia having a liberal extradition regime.
• Lesotho's legislative strategy focuses on the seizure and forfeiture of assets, based on the belief that organised crime is financially motivated. However, resource scarcity has delayed the implementation of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act of 1999.
• Mozambique has applicable legislation to deal with serious crime, but the structures for enforcement are highly vulnerable to corruption. This was exemplified by the assassination of investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso in Maputo.
• Angola lacks laws specifically dedicated to organised crime, and the prospects for passing such laws are considered dim due to the ongoing civil war. The country reports significant corruption associated with the oil, arms, and diamond industries.
• Malawi has seen an increase in organised crime since transitioning to multiparty democracy in 1994. Criminal groups in Malawi typically consist of loose, informal units rather than structured hierarchies. The country's Firearms Act is criticized for having grossly inadequate punishments for arms-trafficking.
• The Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO), with Interpol as its Secretariat, facilitates joint intelligence-driven operations. Since 1997, nine joint operations have targeted crimes such as motor vehicle theft and drug trafficking, with Operation V4 recovering 1,576 stolen vehicles in 12 days.
• Motor vehicle theft is a primary concern in the SADC region, with South Africa serving as a major source of stolen goods. Syndicates use forged documents and corruption to move vehicles across borders, often targeting Angola and the DRC.
• Drug trafficking routes in Southern Africa involve the convergence of heroin, hashish, and mandrax from the east and cocaine from the west in South Africa before they are routed to Europe or Canada.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Untitled Document. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono56.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Untitled Document. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono56.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Untitled Document |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono56.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesnduntitled, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Untitled Document}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono56.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }