In this episode we focus on South African politician, Supra Mahumapelo, and how he was allegedly involved with the deceased, Wandile Bozwana. There have been significant and repetitive accusations against Supra that he was the man who ordered the hit against Bozwana. What makes the accusations against Supra ordering the murder more compelling is that it was echoed by a gang member. The gang member turned state witness and filed an affidavit with the Gauteng police’s Provincial Investigations Unit. In the affidavit he claimed that Supra ordered the hit on Bozwana. Supra has vehemently denied any involvement, but we speak to an anonymous source who believes there is evidence in the police docket to the contrary.

The alleged assassin who arranged the hitmen who killed Bozwana is on trial. His name is Vusi “KheKhe” Mathibela. He was arrested after one of his co-accused identified him on a CCTV video pointing out Bozwana (while shopping at the luxurious Sandton City in Johannesburg) on the day he was killed. Vusi has built a formidable empire for himself inside the taxi industry (a place infamous for assassinations). We explore how he rose to power and what influence he is still able to wield from behind bars. 

In this episode we explore the taxi industry in South Africa more thoroughly. We examine how it is an entry point for violence and assassinations. We explore how you can take back control of a taxi organization and reduce the violence within. We examine the grip that the alleged assassin Vusi “KheKhe” Mathibela has over certain taxi organizations and if he can be stopped. 

In this episode we head to Mozambique and investigate how the trend of assassinations is spreading across Africa. We explore the parallels between South Africa and Mozambique, particularly on how their assassination landscapes compare. We hear from experts at The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime on the business of assassinations and what is needed for the culture to thrive.

We end the series with a boxing match: Mayweather vs Pacquiao in May 2015 (before the assassination even happened). A fight that was billed “The Battle For Greatness” and how it was gloriously significant for South African politics, Bozwana and the case as a whole.  

Welcome to Underworlds with Mark Shaw.

Organized Crime is everywhere, hidden in plain sight. The stories from this world have been mythologised by Hollywood. But the reality can be even stranger and more exciting than fiction.

From the golden age of the American mafia (La Cosa Nostra), to the modern-day cocaine empires, and from the shadowy links between organized crime and terrorism, to the twilight of the Yakuza.

In this series Mark Shaw, the Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime delves into non-fiction books about organized crime and the illicit economy with the authors themselves. He asks questions about their background and investigations, but also the challenges associated in writing about this murky world.