LISTEN | 'Gangs may take over the state': Crime analyst on protection money extortion

A crime analyst has warned that if crooks are let off the hook over protection money extortion they may even take over the state.

Crooks are forcing vulnerable people to fork out a so-called protection fee to protect their small businesses or face dire consequences.

Last week concerning news of protection money being extorted from vulnerable individuals and businesses in Mthatha made headlines.

In Kraaifontein, Cape Town, a pensioner selling food on the street was shot dead for refusing to pay protection money.

Independent crime analyst Dr Chris De Kock says there should be strict application of the law. “If this thing carries on, we can easily slide into the type of situation that you have in Haiti, where gangs and criminals literally take over even the state. If we don’t want to go there, we will have to fight all these organised criminals.”

Listen to De Kock unpack protection money racket:

De Kock says extortion together with kidnapping were used to target big businesses, but it has now moved down to targeting vulnerable people by not only professional syndicates but criminals on a small scale.

He adds there are challenges in tackling this lawlessness, saying “this is a business which is very corruptible”, with high-ranking police officers being paid to protect criminals.

With a new minister at the helm and a new government, De Kock has renewed hope.

“If they followed the good old back-to-basics policing which they did from about the time of the late commissioner Jackie Selebi before his problems started. That and then when Bheki Cele was the national commissioner. In that period certain basic things were followed. Crime intelligence worked optimally in those years ... they took down many syndicates.”

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