Jackie Phamotse speaks out: Big 5 cartel, Mkhwanazi, Madlanga, Cat Matlala, mafias, Epstein, crime

In this wide-ranging conversation, author Jackie Phamotse joins us to reflect on the personal experiences that shaped her writing and the journey behind her Bare book series. She speaks about surviving sexual violence, entering a world of powerful and wealthy individuals, and the experiences that led her to explore themes of human trafficking, organised crime, corruption and the so-called “blesser” economy. The discussion then turns to her latest book, The Big Five Cartel, and its parallels with revelations emerging from the Madlanga Commission, including alleged criminal networks, political connections, extreme wealth, the role of women around powerful figures and the hidden systems that enable organised crime. Phamotse also reflects on global trafficking networks, the Epstein files, the vulnerability of children online and why South Africans may still be underestimating the scale of the criminal underworld operating around them.