An interim report by the Portfolio Committee on Police has lifted the lid on extortion rackets being run in the country, affecting everyone from major government projects to informal businesses and even the disabled receiving grants.
The 18-page report found that from April 2019, to March 2024, 6 056 extortion cases were reported.
Of these, there were a total of 2 389 arrests and 178 convictions.
In the Western Cape, there were 1 476 cases; 683 arrests; and a mere 36 convictions.
The low conviction rate was influenced by a number of factors, including the lengthy process of finalising cases.
The report stated that protection fee gangs were targeting individuals, businesses, and even schools and clinics, “offering protection” against violence, robberies or property damage.
The willingness to pay protection fees often stems from distrust in the police and broader security services, the report stated.
Police have identified seven extortion classifications: Construction Sector; Transport Sector; Municipalities; Security Sector; Mining Sector; Business Sector; and Vulnerable Communities.
In the business sector, foreign-owned businesses, Spaza shops, petrol stations, and even backyard dwellers who have jobs in townships are targeted.
In vulnerable communities, extortionists prey on the disabled, Road Accident Fund (RAF) and pension recipients.
The report said construction mafias often present themselves as an “emerging business forum” and demand money or a stake in development projects.
In the transport sector, taxi drivers or owners approach scholar transport and demand a share per load.
In Municipalities, groupings “storm into” boardrooms during Bid Evaluation Committee meetings and demand tenders and threaten supply chain management officials.
In the security sector, the skelms demand up to 30% of the contracts or security guards and managers are threatened.
In the mining sector, they demand as much as 30% of lucrative procurement contracts, “often with little to offer by way of skills and services”, with threats to disrupt operations.
The Committee expressed concern over the potential connections between extortion and the financing of other crimes such as drug trafficking, prostitution rings, and land invasions.