Assassinations on the Rise
Assassination or personal assessment – If you listen to the news today, you will hear the word “assassination” or “hit man” almost every day. You hear of people gunned down at home, in their driveways, or inside their own houses. South Africa has become the capital of high-level assassinations.
We all know this. It is in the news, and people are aware that this country leads in these types of killings. But this is not about what we already know. This is about what people now need to understand. We are risk assessors. We identify risk, and we identify solutions.
I want to speak directly to whistleblowers, witnesses in major cases, directors, financial directors, CEOs, IT professionals, accounting managers, and journalists. In some cases, this also includes police members, journalists involved in sensitive investigations, and private investigators who work with the media. Remember, companies’ red tape and policies don’t always count in the VIP’s favor.
All of you are at a higher risk of assassination.
I cannot explain in detail in this article how to stop an assassination, or even if it can always be stopped. What I can say is that when you understand your risk, you have a better chance. Every person involved in a high-profile matter is exposed.
This sometimes includes mayors, councilors, and even people working on investigations that seem minor, such as lost and found registers and related inquiries.
This also includes people who investigate matters behind the scenes. Those who ask questions, compile documents, secure witnesses, and work on high-profile cases that go to court and eventually reach the media.
We must also not forget school principals and teachers.
The moment you believe you may be in danger, my advice is to start learning about your own risk profile. If you cannot fully understand the concept of security risk, seek help.
Allow me to explain: Risk exists when a threat and an opportunity overlap.
That is the foundation of a proper security risk assessment. Those who commit assassinations all depend on one critical factor, opportunity.
If you understand your risk, you can reduce or remove that opportunity. When you understand your risk, you begin to understand what you must do to improve your protection. I am not saying this will always save you, but I am saying that those who understand their risk and listen to the independent security risk assessor have a much better chance of survival.
In some cases, the non-professional assassin is caught during the act. But this is often a long process. It requires deep investigation. The definition and profile of assassination investigations are available on our website. This is not a tick-box exercise. It is detailed, demanding, and extensive.
When you understand the risk, you also begin to understand what to do, how to protect yourself, and how to change certain behaviors.
If you struggle with this concept and cannot clearly understand your own risk, then my advice is to bring in an independent security risk assessor to do the work for you. A full risk assessment will be conducted, and everything will be explained in detail.
That assessment becomes your foundation. From there, you can build not only your protection against assassination but also the rest of your security planning.
Do not assume that because you live in a residential estate you are safe, or because you live far from town you are safe, or because you stay in a high-rise building you are safe. You are not.
The moment there is a contract attached to your name, you are no longer safe. That is when different methods of protection become necessary. But the most important starting point remains the same.
You need to understand your risk, your security risk, and your vulnerability.
You need to understand this. It is not only about today. It is about ensuring that you do not become part of the statistics the next time someone tries to kill you or when you are involved in a major investigation, a high-profile court case, a commission of inquiry, or a parliamentary investigation.
The reality is that the South African government does not protect whistleblowers adequately. I believe they try, but they fail, largely because risk is not properly understood.
There is also a general feeling in South Africa that law enforcement cannot be trusted.
For that reason, every effort to protect yourself must start with you. That is why I keep saying this.
If you understand your risk, you will be able to take better steps to protect yourself. As you read this document, remember that South Africa has become the capital of assassination.
# Assassination or personal assessment