Cape Town - With extortion causing the loss of millions of rand to the construction industry and businesses on the Cape Flats and across the province in general, questions have been asked about just how the scourge is being fought.
In the legislature, Al Jama-Ah Party MPL Galil Brinkhuis asked Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen whether the department had a plan to deal with the increasing criminal activities of extortionists who are terrorising businesses on the Cape Flats.
Allen said the investigation of extortion remains the mandate of the police.
However, he said the department co-chairs the Anti-gang Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Committee and partners with the SAPS at their bi-weekly extortion priority committee meetings.
“The department also monitors extortion matters which have been struck off the roll across the province through the department’s court watching brief unit.”
He said the department remained committed to fighting various forms of crime. Allen encouraged all safety stakeholders, particularly neighbourhood watches and community police forums to assist and support the SAPS.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Property Development Forum chairperson Deon van Zyl has advised colleagues in the construction industry not to use euphemisms when reporting extortion.
Van Zyl said the use of words such as “disruption”, “bribe”, “vandalism” or “theft” was simply not effective.
“As obtuse as it may seem, South Africa’s legal system needs keywords to trigger reaction and it is essential that the right terminology be used; specifically, in this case, the word extortion.”
He said the word was immediately recognised within the police reporting system as a Schedule 5 crime.
This is where the onus rests not on the person reporting it, but on the person allegedly accused of the crime to prove why bail should be granted.
Van Zyl said that apart from forcing construction crews to walk off sites in fear of their lives, extortion was also having an effect on investment confidence and in turn jobs.
