'There's more extortion going on than meets the eye' - Police Minister Mchunu

JOHANNESBURG - Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said that extortionists did not only target businesses but also pensioners and Road Accident Fund (RAF) recipients. 

He assured that police were hard at work to target syndicates and gangs that are behind extortion in provinces including Gauteng, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape. 

Mchunu was responding in the National Assembly on the actions taken by the police to deal with threats posed by extortionists in the country. 

Mchunu said extortion had been emerging over time and had now reached levels where all communities across the country were affected. 

READ: EC Chamber of Business says extortion is leading to more job losses

He said extortionists had gone beyond just the construction mafia and businesses and were targeting every part of life in some provinces. 

"In the Free State, the target of extortionists include pensioners and people who receive RAF. Generally, there is more extortion going on than meets the eye. This requires more crime intelligence operations," said Mchunu.

But opposition MPs said that not enough was being done.

"There is no comprehensive crime prevention strategy and until that happens, you’re always going to run after the fact," said Economic Freedom Fighters MP, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

Mchunu said there was an operational plan that would include community policing forums and private security companies and the Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay had already agreed on the plan.