Capitalism and Economic Crime in Africa

“In this critical, conceptually rich, and thought-provoking collection, Jörg Wiegratz has put together a unique and balanced combination of different types of previously published analyses - in combination with a number of new and updated texts - which are seamlessly intertwined. The collection, by focusing on a wide range of manifestations of crime, illegal markets, fraud and corruption, turns the criminological spotlight on an extremely interesting but largely neglected context. Capitalism and Economic Crime in Africa: The Neoliberal Period will most certainly prompt a fruitful debate as it offers a convincing case about how neoliberalism has acted as a major enabler of criminality through deregulation and restructuring programmes that have been introduced by supranational actors. This is a mandatory reading for academics, law enforcement, and policy makers”. - Professor Georgios A. Antonopoulos, Northumbria University at Newcastle, UK “Capitalism and Economic Crime in Africa brings a unique perspective to understanding the intricate operation of capitalist forces in Africa. The papers in this collection, written by a combination of senior and younger scholars studying capitalist dynamics in Africa, give readers a rare opportunity to encounter the often-concealed side of African capitalism. Written through the unfiltered lens of radical political economy, the essays have laid bare the different economic crimes, from the fixing of commodity prices (the famous London Fix), illicit capital flows, fake drugs to the fronting of conservation as an instrument for looting of natural resources and accumulation. The volume challenges the conventional explanations of the sources and causes of Africa’s economic challenges by exposing and centring economic crime as an integral part of capitalist formation on the continent. Being the first analysis of a wide range of economic crime, the collection offers an illuminating exposition of the inner mechanisms of Africa’s encounter with capitalism. This is a timely intervention and valuable contribution to the study of Africa's economic challenges.” - Professor Horman Chitonge, Centre for African Studies, University of Cape Town, South Africa “Fraud and corruption in the majority world have been central to the predatory project of capitalism and colonialism. Sometimes used as a legitimating narrative for intervention, but often used simply to expropriate and extract value, fraud is a core technique of power over the Global South. Jörg Wiegratz has put together a definitive collection of essays that helps us understand how fraud and corruption sustain economic domination by the richest states and the richest corporations over the people. Nowhere is this technique of colonisation more enduring than it is in Africa. This is why Capitalism and Economic Crime in Africa is a major contribution to our understanding of contemporary capitalism and colonialism.” - Professor David Whyte, Queen Mary University of London, UK