Extortion rackets add to Mthatha’s woes

Business owners in Mthatha and surrounding towns are being threatened by extortionists who sometimes order them to cough up as much as R30,000 for “protection”.

Police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo said this week that at least seven cases had been reported so far.

However, he said many extortion attempts were not reported to police.

Organised business has warned that the consequences for Mthatha could be dire if the extortionists were not stopped in their tracks.

“It has come to the attention of the SAPS management in the OR Tambo district that some business owners are becomingly increasingly concerned after receiving threats and financial demands in exchange for protection from criminal activities,” Matyolo said.

“This is a crime known as extortion which is a punishable offence by law.”

The revelation came after King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality mayor Nyaniso Nelani admitted earlier this week that Mthatha was unsafe and that the work being done by his administration was being undermined by murders, extortion, hijacked buildings and general lawlessness.

Matyolo said though extortion attempts in the area were not uncommon, surprisingly few complaints were being reported to the police or other law enforcement agencies.

Many people did not report crimes due to intimidation and fear, or opted to report them on social media instead.

“According to information at our disposal, it’s R30,000 [demanded by criminals from a particular business] and in some instances, no amount had been mentioned,” he said.

Anyone with information on extortion attempts in the district or who had been approached to pay protection fees should report the incidents to their nearest police station or anonymously on Crime Stop at 08600 10111.

OR Tambo District Chamber of Business secretary-general Dr Andile Nontso warned that unless the scourge — and crime generally — was addressed, Mthatha could soon become a ghost town, leading to unprecedented job losses.

He confirmed that some small business owners were already closing down their businesses and leaving Mthatha.

In a recent interview with SABC, Mthatha businessman and president of the Eastern Cape Chamber of Business, Vuyisile Ntlabati, described the extortion claims as unfortunate, saying business people did not have budgets to pay protection fees and would rather close down.