Kubayi warns of ‘State Capture 2.0’ as gangs infiltrate municipalities

By Thapelo Molefe

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has warned that South Africa risks entering a dangerous “second phase of state capture,” this time driven by gangs infiltrating local government structures.

Speaking at the three-day Combating Crime Summit hosted by the University of Johannesburg on Friday, Kubayi said armed groups were increasingly using intimidation and violence to take control of municipalities and secure procurement deals.

“Whereas the first phase of state capture was top-down, the second phase seems to be taking root from the bottom,” she said.

“Through intimidation, threats, and violence, they take over the decision-making processes in the municipality and redirect all procurement towards companies that hardly deliver services. The poor performance of municipalities, driven by instability and weak governance, has created space for opportunistic gangs that are not powerful enough to capture national government but are violent enough to capture municipalities.”

Kubayi drew parallels between