Police Commissioner says communities not reporting extortion cases
Masemola was speaking in Cape Town on Friday during the announcement of the crime statistics.
National SAPS Commissioner Fannie Masemola addresses the National Joint Operational Intelligence Structures (Natjoints) ahead of their deployment for the Opening of Parliament (OPA) on 18 July 2024. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the problem in policing extortion is that communities are not coming forward to report the crime.
Masemola was speaking in Cape Town on Friday during the announcement of the First Quarter Crime Statistics.
This comes as the Western and Eastern Cape battle with extortion syndicates that terrorise communities and businesses.
Masemola said measures have been put in place to clamp down on extortion in the two provinces.
“We are re-enforcing them through this strategy that we rolled out here in the Western Cape, where we joined together with the various agencies of municipalities to work together to make sure that we fight the extortion together."
Masemola added that communities must use available channels to report perpetrators.
"Every police station and or major city where it’s happening, it's very few in numbers, hence we have established toll freelines in Western Cape, in Eastern Cape, but later we will establish national toll freeline."