The ANC’s “Mafia State” is robbing the economy of at least R155 billion a year - Dr Dion George

Organised crime syndicates are bleeding South Africa’s national economy of R155 billion a year - and that number is “significantly understated”. That is according to Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister of Finance, Dr Dion George. He gives this breakdown: Construction mafia - R17 billion; Infrastructure vandalism and arson - R47 billion; ESKOM’s organised crime networks R12 billion; Kidnapping and extortion syndicates - R146 million; Illicit economy, specifically drugs and guns - R13.6 billion; Wildlife syndicates - R1.2 billion; Illegal mining networks (Zama Zamas) - R14 billion; Tender corruption - R30 billion; and the Tobacco and cigarettes Mafia - R20 billion.” He calls on Government to make organised crime a priority - and to stop wasting resources on “never-ending bailouts to basically bankrupt entities”.  Dr George says South Africa is only on its knees because the government has chosen the wrong economic policies.