By Kotie Geldenhuys
Photos courtesy of Pickpik, Pexels and Pixabay
Hitmen are real, and it is a far cry from a Hollywood movie. Politicians, gang leaders, investigators, lawyers and others can become targets of assassins hired to eliminate individuals who pose a threat or stand in the way of someone’s financial interests.
In South Africa, especially over the past 20 years, violence has become a commodity that can be bought and sold. Although assassinations, also referred to as contract or targeted killings, constitute a small portion of the country’s exceptionally high murder rate, their impact is profound and far-reaching. Political murders are a significant concern, as highlighted in an article published from page 10 in this issue of Servamus. Nonetheless, contract killings extend beyond the political sphere, affecting a variety of individuals targeted by their adversaries. These assassinations are commissioned for economic, political or personal motives, contributing to a wider market of organised violence and intimidation. It also sends a clear, menacing message to the victims’ communities, colleagues and families (Matamba, 2023). Targeted killings instil fear, silence activists and whistle-blowers, undermine democracies and enable criminal actors to achieve their objectives (Thomas, 2021).
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[This is only an extract of an article that is published in Servamus: August 2024. This article is available for purchase.]