Premier
In the light of ongoing extortion in areas such as Nyanga, Philippi and Samora Machel, which is now disrupting basic services, such as refuse collection, and forcing residents to live in unsafe and unsanitary conditions:
What non-policing strategy is the provincial government implementing to address the root causes of extortion?
I am informed that:
2. The Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety (POCS) hosted a multi-sectoral anti-extortion summit in July 2025. It looked at the extent of extortion in six sectors: transport and mobility; construction and infrastructure; local township and rural economy; financial and business sector; nightlife economy; and basic service delivery. A cross-sector task team will be established to drive implementation of the recommendation, monitoring progress, and to ensure accountability. An internal strategic planning meeting will take place in quarter 1 of 26/27 to decide on the approach and next steps, and a broader stakeholder engagement will take place in the 2nd quarter.
POCS continually engages with SAPS on behalf of departments regarding extortion-related matters affecting government facilities, staff, projects, and services. These engagements aim to strengthen coordination, facilitate information sharing, and support departments affected by extortion incidents.
POCS has developed a transversal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to assist Western Cape Government (WCG) departments in identifying, reporting, escalating, and managing extortion-related incidents affecting government operations and service delivery. The purpose of the SOP is to promote a coordinated and standardised approach across departments. To raise awareness of extortion risks and reporting procedures, POCS facilitated an anti-extortion webinar and conducted awareness presentations.
However, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that extortion represents organised criminal activity. Its rise on our nation in recent years demonstrates what is already well known – that criminals are able to operate sophisticated networks, including extortion rings, with impunity, in large part due to a collapse of investigative capacity within the law enforcement community of South Africa. Extortion rings cannot survive in an environment of strong investigative and crime intelligence gathering capacity; however, this is precisely what has been created in South Africa. This in turn leads to a situation of alarmingly low public trust in the SAPS and other law enforcement bodies, leading to a situation in which many people feel they have no choice but to pay extortion fees. It goes without saying that, were this not the case, extortion mafias would have no reason to exist.
At present, and as has been placed on record ad nauseum, the capacity to investigate and gather intelligence on crime of any kind, including organised criminal rings, rests at the national level, primarily with the South African Police Service (SAPS). This capacity, especially within the Western Cape, has been allowed to fall apart. The Western Cape sees alarmingly high vacancy rates, especially among detectives, and the position of Western Cape Head of Crime Intelligence has remained vacant since the previous occupant was dismissed, reinstated, and then dismissed a second time for alleged misconduct. At the same time, the SAPS in the Western Cape, already budget constrained, does not spend sufficiently on these capabilities. Just recently, the Standing Committee on Police Oversight heard that, while the national SAPS budget had expanded 23% over the last seven years, the Western Cape’s operational budget had increased by just 4%. We also know that the SAPS in the Western Cape typically spends the vast majority of its budget on visible policing, leaving little funding for the capabilities to investigate, target, and dismantle extortion rings.
The Western Cape Government has been clear in its desire to assist in bolstering investigative capacity, and has repeatedly devoted its own resources to assisting where legally possible. Examples include the provision of legal services to certain SAPS stations in order to ensure that dockets are built with successful prosecutions in mind, and the forthcoming establishment of a dedicated gang observatory in conjunction with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. However, it remains necessary that the SAPS and decision makers at the national level devote further resources to their investigative mandate, or move to mandate and resource capable sub-national governments to assist in these matters. While non-policing interventions are important, extortion represents organised crime, and must be treated as such.
