Watch – ‘Private militias,’ murders, drugs: South Africa’s crime flashpoints

Different kinds of criminality, and even accusations that a drug cartel has infiltrated law enforcement, have ravaged South Africa in 2025. This means that honest police officers have had a rough year, from rooting out dodgy aspects of private security, to investigating countless killings. This has set the scene for 2026. Daily Maverick’s Caryn Dolley explains.