As the scourge of extortion by the construction mafia continues unabated in the province, police said related investigations took longer to crack than an average case docket.
The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure said it reported eight cases relating to extortion and violent crimes in Cape Town to police.
The case numbers were sent to the Cape Times and showed four criminal cases lodged in Manenberg, two in Gugulethu, one in Delft and one in Milnerton.
In Manenberg, it is alleged that gang members demanded that the contractor supply all the materials at a cost that exceeded the allowable rate.
They also allegedly demanded that subcontracting work be provided by the respective gang members at a rate provided by themselves, even though they did not have registered companies.
In a similar incident in Delft, a business forum and community leader allegedly attempted to extort the contractor for demolitions and rubble removal, threatening violence and destruction of property if the demands weren’t met.
In Milnerton, a contractor and a school principal were allegedly threatened to stop work and shut down the site by the construction mafia.
In Gugulethu, two unknown men allegedly stopped their car near a construction site and fired two shots at a worker, who was wounded in the leg.
DA provincial spokesperson on infrastructure Matlhodi Maseko said they hoped the perpetrators would be brought to book.
“Extortion is, unfortunately, a countrywide problem, but the Western Cape government is leading the charge in making sure that those who engage in extortion are held accountable.”
Police spokesperson, Novela Potelwa, said extortion cases were prioritised.
“The SAPS continuously makes every endeavour to fight the many facets of the crime of extortion. Be it in the construction, transport, small business, public or private sector, the crime of extortion is prioritised.
“It is worth noting that detectives investigate all reported cases although such investigations may take longer than an average case docket.
“With a number of arrests and cases before various courts, the SAPS hopes more complainants will be encouraged to report the phenomenon to the police.
“Whenever the SAPS engages communities, they are duly advised to report the crime of extortion.
“Where they fear reprisal, they are encouraged to report anonymously to the SAPS,” she said.
Manenberg Community Policing Forum spokesperson Pedro Visagie said the impact of extortion was widely felt.
“Extortion hampers progress and delays the implementation of projects.
It also deprives workers from earning much-needed salaries to feed their families and deprives the communities of the benefits of having these facilities,” he said.
Anti-crime activist Hanif Loonat said: “I don’t see any combating of extortion in this industry. In fact, the Western Cape is the worst affected province... They claim they are dealing with extortions, yet they are getting worse.”
Cape Times