Book Review – Ministry Of Crime

Ministry Of Crime – An Underworld Explored by Mandy Wiener (Macmillan) ISBN 9781770105751

My feeling on reading this exposé is one of astonishment, some disgust, disappointment and fear on finding out just how much of a mess we’re in.  As corruption spreads its tentacles through the justice system, government, and its attachments, the taxpayers are the losers. The blatant looting and colluding between government and the private sector is astounding.

Mandy Wiener begins by expressing her despondency while interviewing retired, suspended or fired police officers, SARS investigators, and senior prosecutors. They say the NPA, police, and Hawks are rotten due to political interference. SARS has been seriously damaged by replacing competent people with dishonest and unsuitable people.

At last Radovan Krejcir has been arrested, but he has broken the police service by having senior cops on his payroll. He has been associated with a variety of crimes, including murders.

The net in the underworld spreads wide from illegal cigarettes, drugs, rhino poaching, extortion and tax evasion which involves many known underworld characters, for example Agliotti, Steyn, Beeka, Lifman, Jackson, and Modak.

The author interviews all these characters individually and extensively, bringing a comprehensive account to the reader. She asks the reader to decide where the truth lies. It is a fascinating and disturbing read that must have taken great effort, time, and possibly danger to the author herself.

Dawn Blankfield
4/5
@JupiterDawn