By Simon Nare
President Cyril Ramaphosa has accepted that extortion has reached unacceptable levels in several parts of the country and has to be nipped in the bud.
Ramaphosa, who was answering questions in the National Council of Provinces, admitted that extortion was greatly affecting the economy, disrupting business activity, delaying or halting the construction of infrastructure and generally raising the cost of doing business.
He was responding to numerous concerns by delegates about criminal gangs making life difficult for businesspeople and how this trend was spreading to ordinary citizens.
Ramaphosa said the police were hard at work to combat this growing trend, which was rife in areas such as the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town.
The president said a special unit had already been established.
“For example, the SAPS has established the Eastern Cape Provincial Extortion Forum specifically to address extortion-related issues in the province. An Organised Crime Task Team has also been established to investigate all extortion cases reported in the province.
“A multi-disciplinary approach has been adopted that includes Crime Intelligence and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. A modus operandi and target analysis have been conducted. This has confirmed that the identified gangs are operating in syndicates to commit organised criminal activities,” he said.
The president said the cases were being dealt with in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and focused on identified gang leaders to neutralise the activities of the syndicates.
Investigations were being conducted in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority and other relevant law enforcement agencies, including the Asset Forfeiture Unit,to ensure that the proceeds of crime were recovered by the state.
But delegates called for extortion to be declared a national crisis to which the president did not commit to in his answers.
However, he did mention other measures the police were taking such as the establishment of a hotline, which had already led to over a thousand cases being recorded.
He said the Extortion Hotline had resulted in 36 cases and 11 enquiries being registered for investigation by the Organised Crime Task Team.
“In addition, an Extortion and Kidnapping Task Force Forum has been established. This involves all relevant stakeholders, including business entities. The Task Force Forum meets monthly to identify trends regarding extortion and kidnapping, thereby ensuring a well-informed collaborative approach,” he said.
The president assured the house that extortion syndicates were a great concern and were being prioritised.
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