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The justice ministry’s response to reports that social workers in the Western Cape are the latest victims of criminal syndicates demanding “protection fees” to allow them to do their jobs is appallingly casual.
A spokesperson for the ministry told GroundUp the minister “is applying her mind” and is “amenable to the idea” of meeting Western Cape officials to discuss potential solutions. This as the provincial social development department has had to spend R20m of its already strained budget to protect employees, including doubling up on social workers assigned to cases in problem areas, removing government branding from cars, and even changing number plates.
The government talks of having “zero tolerance” for the crime of extortion, but the evidence indicates the opposite. Unfortunately, the lack of urgency is not restricted to the justice ministry. Despite lip service paid to addressing the problem of extortion, especially the violent “construction mafias” and “business associations” that have proliferated in recent years, convictions have been few and far between.
SA Police Service head of detectives Lt-Gen Khosi Senthumule told parliament’s portfolio committee on police this week that from April 2019 to March 2024 a total of 6,056 extortion cases were reported across the country, but despite 2,389 arrests being made only 178 people have been convicted.
Meanwhile, deputy president Paul Mashatile, who chairs the justice, crime prevention and security cluster in the cabinet, has promised a governmentwide plan, including more funds for crime intelligence, which seems to have been missing in action as cadres focused on factional politics rather than infiltrating criminal syndicates.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
EDITORIAL: Appalling attitude
The justice ministry’s response to reports that social workers in the Western Cape are the latest victims of criminal syndicates demanding “protection fees” to allow them to do their jobs is appallingly casual.
A spokesperson for the ministry told GroundUp the minister “is applying her mind” and is “amenable to the idea” of meeting Western Cape officials to discuss potential solutions. This as the provincial social development department has had to spend R20m of its already strained budget to protect employees, including doubling up on social workers assigned to cases in problem areas, removing government branding from cars, and even changing number plates.
The government talks of having “zero tolerance” for the crime of extortion, but the evidence indicates the opposite. Unfortunately, the lack of urgency is not restricted to the justice ministry. Despite lip service paid to addressing the problem of extortion, especially the violent “construction mafias” and “business associations” that have proliferated in recent years, convictions have been few and far between.
SA Police Service head of detectives Lt-Gen Khosi Senthumule told parliament’s portfolio committee on police this week that from April 2019 to March 2024 a total of 6,056 extortion cases were reported across the country, but despite 2,389 arrests being made only 178 people have been convicted.
Meanwhile, deputy president Paul Mashatile, who chairs the justice, crime prevention and security cluster in the cabinet, has promised a governmentwide plan, including more funds for crime intelligence, which seems to have been missing in action as cadres focused on factional politics rather than infiltrating criminal syndicates.
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Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.