Chad Thomas, crime expert, forensic and organised crime investigator.
Image: Supplied
Durban’s latest wave of drive-by shootings is part of a growing trend of eliminating rivals quickly.
Crime expert and forensic investigator Chad Thomas told IOL the shootings carried the hallmarks of murder-for-hire operations, where gunmen are hired to eliminate rivals, silence witnesses, settle disputes or remove obstacles standing in the way of criminal interests.
The strongest concern, he said, is that contract killings are no longer isolated incidents but part of a growing pattern.
“Murder for hire is on the increase. Turf wars, silencing of witnesses, business disputes, eliminating political competition, and even stopping investigators from doing their jobs are some of the reasons for this upward trend.”
In Durban, where organised crime networks have long operated across sectors ranging from drugs and extortion to construction and political patronage, drive-by shootings are seen as an efficient way to send a message while reducing the risk of arrest.
Thomas explained that, unlike conventional murderers, attackers can strike within seconds and disappear before police arrive.
Victims are often ambushed in traffic, outside homes or businesses, or while travelling familiar routes.
“Drive-by shootings allow for much quicker getaways and fewer witnesses,” said Thomas.
The speed of the crime creates serious problems for investigators. Gunmen often use stolen vehicles, false number plates and unlicensed firearms, while terrified bystanders are reluctant to speak.
By the time officers secure a scene, suspects may already be far from the area. Still, advances in policing tools mean such cases are not impossible to solve.
“With improvements in technology, proper crime scene management, effective ballistic testing, and solid detective work to identify motive and suspects, authorities can make inroads in prosecuting these perpetrators," said Thomas.
However, he added, repeated targeted killings across Durban are also being read as a warning sign that visible policing alone is not enough and deeper intelligence failures remain.
“Lack of intelligence capacity and ineffective detective work are two of the biggest issues in holding hitmen to account. Murder for hire is an organised crime, and only through undercover operations by crime intelligence, resulting in infiltration of agents, will it result in disruption and dismantling of these syndicates," said Thomas.
The current reactive model of arriving after shots have been fired must be replaced with prevention-driven policing, he said.
Thomas suggested that the powers of metro police departments should be expanded so they can play a stronger investigative role alongside the South African Police Service.
“Local metropolitan policing needs to be given investigation powers. Unfortunately, current legislation doesn’t allow for this. The legislation must be amended.”
Thomas added that KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's appointment to lead a new national task team focused on dismantling organised crime syndicates was a "step in the right direction."
Gun Free South Africa said the increase in drive-by shootings also reflected the continued availability of firearms for use in targeted killings, retaliation, extortion-linked violence and organised criminal activity.
Executive director Dr Stanley Maphosa said the incidents were typically driven by easy access to firearms, organised criminal rivalry and territorial disputes, weak disruption of illegal gun flows and low risk of detection and successful prosecution.
"What is critical is that firearms sit at the centre of multiple crime types. The same guns are used across gang activity, extortion, drug markets, illegal mining and targeted killings. This means gun violence is not a standalone issue. It is a driver of organised crime," he said.
He further explained that drive-by shootings in Durban must be understood within South Africa’s broader firearm crisis.
"We are losing around 30 people a day to gun violence every single day. This is not inevitable.
South Africa has already shown that progress is possible. It has been 25 years since the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 was promulgated, and in its first decade of implementation, the law contributed to a significant decline in gun deaths and saved thousands of lives," he said
However, that progress has not been sustained, Maphosa added. "Today, the system is under strain due to loopholes in the law that are being exploited through lack of accountability, corruption in licensing and overall firearm management, systemic weaknesses in oversight and enforcement, poor and fragmented record-keeping, and resource constraints within the system.
"As a result, the effectiveness of the law has been undermined, and firearms continue to flow into criminal hands. This is why strengthening and amending the Firearms Control Act is necessary.
It is not to weaken it, but to close loopholes, restore accountability, and improve implementation," he said.
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