File
National police management is deploying “more boots on the ground” to combat rising incidents of extortion and gang violence in the Eastern Cape.
The announcement on Tuesday follows last week’s visit to the province by the Minister, Senzo Mchunu, his management team, and stakeholders in Mthatha and Gqeberha including Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqata and Nelson Mandela Bay mayor, Gary van Niekerk.
“The multidisciplinary teams have been deployed to prevent, combat, investigate, and arrest those behind incidents of gang violence and extortion,” said national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
She said three senior officers consisting of the head of organised crime, specialised operations, and intelligence from SAPS national headquarters have been deployed to the province each with dedicated teams under their command.
Mathe said a team of detectives is also on the ground, along with officers from the organised crime, the serious and violent crime unit, the National Intervention Unit (NIU) as well as crime intelligence, who will work alongside and augment the Eastern Cape’s existing capacity to deal decisively with ‘protection fee gangs’.
National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola says communities cannot be held at ransom and is urging community members to bring forward the names of these extortionists.
“The challenge that we are having is that community members are reluctant to report incidents of extortion.
We urge our communities to when called upon, come forward and report all forms of criminality to us and who these people are, to enable us to effect more arrests and ensure we build watertight cases that will be able to stand in court,” he said.
The SAPS said it was making inroads in dealing decisively with gangs demanding extortion fees from businesses but concedes that more needs to be done.
