It has become overwhelmingly clear that criminal syndicates thrive because they have deep ties to influential political figures, and they do not have to fear the members of a lacklustre security cluster.

This is a story that, a little less than six weeks ago, would have had a very different flavour. Back in mid-April, we didn't know that South Africa's security cluster was either unable or unwilling to root out the criminal syndicates that have been plunging our economy into freefall by looting Eskom blind.

But thanks to recent parliamentary hearings into corruption and sabotage at Eskom, we now know that State Capture during the Zuma administration and the political interference of the current administration have rendered the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Hawks and the State Security Agency about as ineffective as a neighbourhood watch with links to the local mafia.

In mid-April, we didn't know that even when the security cluster wanted to do its work - like, say, when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) wanted to extradite the Gupta brothers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - there would be suggestions of strange international "friendships" standing in its way.

But thanks to the appropriation of one of our public airports by the president of the UAE, we now know that there was probably a lot more going on behind the scenes than any of us could have guessed....