Over the past few months, South Africa has seen an uptick in extortion gangs coming to the fore. In the past, criminals who partook in this crime would go about it subtly. However, this cannot be said in our current time. Construction sites, whether private or state-owned have become prime targets. In addition, local shops owned and run by foreign nationals in townships are more aggressively targeted by these gangs.

In August, alleged extortion gangs attacked a shop in Hout Bay killing three people and injuring six others. In June, another gang pounced on a barber shop in Site C in Khayelitsha. Four people, including three children were murdered. These cases are merely some of the many that have rocked Cape Town since the start of the year.

In other parts of the country, especially KwaZulu-Natal, extortion gangs have not held back in targeting construction sites. Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson has stressed that government will not negotiate or engage with the so-called construction mafia, nor will it be tolerated.

In this edition of Prime Talk…we take closer look at the history behind extortion gangs in South Africa and how can the respective spheres band together to uproot this crime threatening the livelihoods of workers.

This evening, we’re joined by:

• Former SAPS Major-General, Jeremy Veary
• Community Activist and Elsies River Community Policing Forum (CPF) spokesperson, Imraahn Mukkadam