The national commissioner of police, General Fannie Masemola, has sent additional officers to the Eastern Cape province in an effort to crack down on gangs and extortionists.
These multidisciplinary teams have been sent in to stop, oppose, look into, and apprehend the people responsible for gang-related violence and extortion.
The addition of more troops to the ground follows a visit and community stakeholder engagements in Mthatha and Gqeberha spearheaded by the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu.
Extortionists running rampant at private facilities
This comes after a number of businesses in the province, including private healthcare facilities, had to close down as a result of the extortionists’ demands for a protection fee.
According to Masemola, the province has been identified as one of the problematic provinces when it comes to crime.
“Three senior officers consisting of the head of organised crime, specialised operations and intelligence from SAPS National Headquarters have been deployed to the province, each with dedicated teams under their command.
“On the ground is a team of detectives from organised crime as well as serious and violent crime units, operatives from the National Intervention Unit (NIU), as well as Crime Intelligence Officers who will be dealing with ‘protection fee gangs’.”
Masemola said communities cannot be held at ransom.
“The challenge that we are having is that community members are reluctant to report incidents of extortion.
Communities must report the crime
“We urge our communities to, when called upon, come forward and report all forms of criminality to us and who these people are, to enable us to effect more arrests and ensure we build watertight cases that will be able to stand in court.
“For us to pin down these extortionists, we need witnesses. We urge the community’s cooperation in this regard. We have dedicated teams that are assigned to these cases.
He said they were also looking at increasing capacity to register more cases and ensure takedowns.
Masemola stated that in the last five years, they have arrested about 722 extortionists who are linked to incidents of violence and extortion at construction sites and businesses across the country.
“Fifty-two of them were found guilty and collectively sentenced to 89 years and seven months of imprisonment. Ninety-three cases are still under investigation where groupings and individuals of interest have been identified.
“Problematic provinces have been identified where these extortionists operate, these include the Western, Eastern, and Northern Cape, the Free State, Limpopo, the North West, and Mpumalanga.
“In the Western Cape, well-known construction Mafia gang leader, Ralph Stanfield, his wife and fourteen others are facing 32 charges relating to the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, this in relation to extortion fees.”
