Security expert breaks down ‘explosion’ of extortion across SA
Both opportunistic and systematic extortion rackets continue to plague the country, with the latter experiencing a notable boom over the past few years.
Four suspects were killed and 4 other seriously wounded in a shootout with police in Milnerton, Cape Town on 29 August 2024. Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
CAPE TOWN - Police have vowed to continue to work hard to crack down on rising extortion across the country.
There's been an uptick in cases that have seen syndicates terrorise communities and businesses, especially in the Western and Eastern Cape, where cities like Mthatha and Gqeberha have been identified as hotspots.
ALSO READ:
- Police Commissioner says communities not reporting extortion cases
- ‘Sobering’ quarterly crime stats with increase in murder, rape and extortion - Mchunu
Just last week in the Cape, a tip-off about a planned mass shooting led to a shootout between police and alleged wanted extortionists in Milnerton.
Four suspects were shot dead, and four others were seriously wounded.
Researcher at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Jenni Irish Qhobosheane, explained the difference between opportunistic and high-level extortion currently playing out across South Africa.
“I've seen a couple of articles about schools and how some of the older students are extorting the younger students. And that would be what we call opportunistic extortion, where people see this kind of thing happening and say, 'I might as well get involved'.
“But if one looks at the kind of extortion of business in cases like Khayelitsha, Delft, if we look at the kind of extortion we're seeing in the construction sector and transport sector, that is all highly organised.
“I think that you need to distinguish between what we call systematic extortion, which is ongoing extortion carried out by organised groups, and opportunistic extortion. And what we are seeing in the country is a real explosion of systemic extortion, where you have organised groups that are driving this extortion.”