The rule of the gun: Hits and assassinations in South Africa, 2000-2017
Summary This report presents an analysis of data on hits (contract killings) carried out in South Africa. The data has been compiled as part of the...
Assassinations Watch
Political assassinations, targeted ‘hits’ and contract killings are both a service of organised crime, and a means by which the underworld settles disputes and leaves its mark in legitimate society. Assassinations are rising in a number of key localities, where they used to influence politics, distort the economy, and instil fear to mark criminal control. Assassinations Watch is a project of the Global Initiative to monitor changing trends in extortions, and to chart its impact in communities, on governance and the state.
Please see our South African focus flagship initiative, Assassinations Witness ZA, a partnership with the Open Society Foundation and the Institute for Safety Governance at the University of Cape Town.
Crime & ConflictProtecting PoliticsDevelopment DialogueWildlife WatchMigrant SmugglingOC & the SDGsAssassinations WatchGold WatchGIResilienceCrime Terror NexusRESPECTTOCLawUN-TOC WatchENACTIndexPrivate SectorPolitical EconomyDrug PolicyUN Peace OpsUNTOCSustainable Development GoalsUN ReformDigital Dangers
Partners:
Publications
See all
The Rise and Fall of the Johannesburg ‘Bouncer Mafia’
Mark Shaw’s latest article with Simone Haysom for the Journal for Modern African Studies recounts the rise and fall of the Johannesburg bouncer...
Blog
See all
Freedom of press threatened by organized crime in Western Balkans
On 30 August, in the early hours of the morning, Albanian journalist Klodiana Lala was targeted by gunmen while she was in her father’s home in...
Mexico election
Mexico’s presidential election opens a new chapter in democracy and security against a backdrop of pervasive violence. Mexicans have voted to...
Mozambique’s quiet assassination epidemic
The surface of life in Mozambique conceals violent undercurrents that threaten development and stability alike. On 27 March, Mozambican journalist...
Video
See all
Hitmen for Hire: Exposing South Africa’s Underworld (video)
Contract killing and targeted “hits” in South Africa have become widespread and deeply embedded into parts of the country’s history of systemic...
Held to Ransom: An overview of Mozambique’s kidnapping crisis
A silver Mercedes-Benz pulls into the driveway of a luxury beachfront home on Maputo’s Avenida Marginal. As an electronic security gate begins to...
People
See all
Hitmen for Hire: Exposing South Africa’s Underworld (video)
Contract killing and targeted “hits” in South Africa have become widespread and deeply embedded into parts of the country’s history of systemic...
Repository
See all
An Analysis of Mayoral Assassinations in Mexico, 2000-17
In recent years, Mexico has seen elevated violence years, with roughly 300,000 people murdered since 2000 and over 28,000 registered homicides in...