TO clamp down on extortionists and gang-related crimes, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has deployed extra capacity to the Eastern Cape province.
The multi-disciplinary teams, comprising senior officers, detectives, and operatives, will work alongside existing provincial capacity to prevent, combat, investigate, and arrest those behind incidents of gang violence and extortion.
The deployment follows a visit and community stakeholder engagements in Mthatha and Gqeberha, led by the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, and SAPS Management.
The engagements are aimed at addressing concerns and developing strategies to tackle the escalating crime rates in the province.
Recently, the municipality considered deploying former military combatants in crime hotspots across the Bay.
In a recent article by PE Express, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security, Councillor Stag Mitchell, emphasised that involving the military would be a serious move, requiring thorough discussions and absolute certainty.
“I personally think it would be awesome if the South African National Defence Force would be deployed, but such a decision would need proper discussions, and for every decision maker to be absolutely sure, because remember, the military is serious business. They don’t play games. They don’t ask questions. They are a unit that gets sent out for wars, so for them, this is war,” said Mitchell.
General Masemola emphasised that communities cannot be held to ransom and urged community members to come forward and report incidents of extortion.
“We need witnesses to pin down these extortionists. We urge the communities’ co-operation in this regard. We have dedicated teams assigned to these cases and are looking at increasing capacity to register more cases and ensure takedowns.”
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the SAPS has made progress in tackling gangs that extort money from businesses but acknowledged that more needs to be done.
“In the last five years, 722 extortionists have been arrested, with 52 found guilty and collectively sentenced to 89 years and seven months’ imprisonment.
“However, 93 cases remain under investigation, with problematic provinces identified as the Western, Eastern, and Northern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga.
“The SAPS is committed to working with communities to reduce crime and ensure a safer environment for all. Community members are urged to report any incidents of extortion or criminality to the authorities,” Mathe concluded.
The Democratic Alliance Shadow MEC for Education, Horatio Hendricks, recently issued a statement.
“We commend the SAPS’s efforts in intensifying policing to address these cases of extortion. However, these cases are just the tip of the iceberg, and a wider approach needs to be implemented to safeguard our children.
“I will write to Education MEC Fundile Gade to request that the Department of Education initiate a comprehensive safety audit of all schools in the province, to identify vulnerabilities and implement security solutions. These measures should include securing perimeters, controlling access points, and increasing visibility in high-risk zones.”
