
On 6 July 2025, KwaZulu-Natal’s Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that a criminal syndicate involving cops, prison staff, judges, and politicians is holding South Africa hostage. Daily Maverick’s Caryn Dolley explains.
Reporting by: Caryn Dolley
Produced by: Emilie Gambade
Filmed by: Bernard Kotze
Edited by: Rufaro Chiswo
Sub-edited by: Ian Wolstenholme
Caryn Dolley has covered organised crime in South Africa for nearly two decades, exposing how the country fits into the global criminal landscape, how gangsters appear to have infiltrated aspects of private security, and…
Bicycle Culture: Cycling is gaining popularity in urban areas, with initiatives
promoting cycling as a sustainable mode of transport.

fist wizard
Bunny Chow. This is a traditional South African Indian dish and usually consists of curry served in a hollowed-out half-loaf of unsliced white bread. It’s best when the bread is soft and fresh and the curry is extra spicy.
cereal killer
Fun South African Fact: The first successful heart transplant was in a Cape Town hospital