Durban — Next week, the parliamentary portfolio committee on police will learn about the SAPS’ plans to combat the growing scourge of extortion.
The committee will receive a presentation from the Ministry of Police on the broader policy direction to tackle crime in general and extortion in particular. The national commissioner and his team will outline the practical operations tailored to tackle extortion.
The meeting was born after political parties in the National Assembly committed to finding solutions to extortion.
“This meeting represents the first step by the portfolio committee to ensure a focused approach in dealing with the current worrying trend. It is unacceptable that small businesses, schools and communities are subjected to additional and unlawful taxes that squeeze out the little resources they make,” committee chairperson Ian Cameron said.
He said public representatives’ commitment reflects the realisation that the response to this scourge could not be business as usual and that a co-ordinated and focused approach was necessary to counter the current challenges.
Additionally, it reflects the realisation that the police alone cannot win the war against extortionists. A whole society approach has to be adopted, where all stakeholders contribute towards a common goal.
Cameron said the meeting will happen following arrests of extortionists in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Northern Cape, including members of the SAPS.
He said while the arrests are important as a starting point, a much more elaborate and intensive operation is necessary to rid society of the parasitic tendencies inherent in extortion cases.
“It is important for the SAPS to have adequate plans to deal with extortion, from adequate intelligence-led operations to collaborations with communities for information that will lead to convictions of the alleged perpetrators. The spirit of the meeting will be anchored on finding effective solutions to this trend,” Cameron said.
He also emphasised the importance of adopting international best practices in dealing with extortion. Although every country has distinctive characteristics that create different environments for extortion to prosper, it will be necessary for the SAPS to adopt those strategies that can be replicated in South Africa.
“Extortion is not uniquely South African, and many countries have implemented effective strategies. We must implement elements that can work in the country,” Cameron said.
Meanwhile, last Thursday during a media briefing, SAPS national commissioner General Fannie Masemola paid attention to extortion while providing an update on countrywide policing operations.
Masemola said since their last briefing four weeks ago, 85 000 suspects have been arrested for various crimes ranging from murder to rape, kidnapping and extortion.
He said the SAPS is working hard to bring an end to extortion-related crimes but they need co-operation from communities to report the crime and name and shame the perpetrators.
“We have developed an Extortion Action Plan and thus far, we are pleased with the manner in which this plan is being implemented throughout the country. As management, we are particularly encouraged with how our police officers are addressing the crime of extortion across all provinces that have been identified as hotspots. We are following up on tip-offs and information shared through our hotlines and crime stop number. We are fetching each of these extortionists, one by one!” Masemola explained.
He said that in the last two weeks, 14 extortionists were shot and killed during confrontations with police in various provinces:
- Three alleged extortionists in the Eastern Cape in Mthatha followed and tailed National Intervention Unit (NIU) officers to their base. The officers had been conducting stop and searches in Mthatha during tracing operations and had earlier confiscated firearms from these alleged extortionists. “These extortionists indeed got what they were looking for, they shot at our police officers – who were ready to defend and assert the authority of the state. Three of these extortionists are being buried this weekend (last weekend),” Masemola said.
- Six others were also shot dead in a clash in KZN.
- In Gauteng, an Emfuleni Local Municipality employee and a branch party leader were arrested. The pair and others are accused of extorting money from a contractor installing fibre infrastructure network in Sharpville in the Vaal area.
- Also in Gauteng, three suspects were arrested in the Johannesburg CBD in a joint operation between Gauteng organised crime and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department earlier this week. The suspects are accused of stopping work at a construction site by demanding money from the contractors.
- In Cape Town, one extortionist, a Zimbabwean foreign national, was arrested for the murder of a 4-year-old girl in Joe Slovo informal settlement in Milnerton. The girl was shot when her killer and his friends were demanding protection fee money from a local spaza shop owner. The girl was hit by a stray bullet and died.
“With Gauteng, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape having been identified as provinces that have the most reported cases, we are adding capacity and pumping resources to the Economic Infrastructure Task Teams to prevent, combat and investigate incidents of extortion and other crimes,” Masemola said.
“Criminal groupings involved in some of these cases have been identified and our intelligence and detectives are on the ground, piecing together information to ensure perpetrators are brought to book.”
Masemola explained that extortion requires a specialised investigative capacity and as a result, deployed specialist teams led by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI-Hawks), crime intelligence and organised crime units to lead these investigations.
He said from April 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024, 319 cases have been reported at their police stations:
- 119 in the Western Cape
- 82 in the Eastern cape
- 63 in KZN
- 31 in Gauteng
Masemola said 151 arrests linked to these cases were made:
- 69 in the Western Cape
- 24 in the Eastern Cape
- 23 in Gauteng
- 20 in KZN
Masemola added it was concerning seven police officers and a civilian were arrested by the DPCI for their involvement in extortion-related crimes in Durban.
They are accused of soliciting about R100 000 from a business owner after confiscating cigarettes from his business premises and demanding that he pay them to make the case disappear. They have appeared in court on charges of extortion, corruption and defeating the administration of justice.
“It is however disappointing but at the same time pleasing, to have our own arrested,” Masemola said.
“This indeed provides the organisation with the opportunity to continuously rid itself of criminal elements.”
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