The assertion by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi that the horrific incident of mob justice in Soshanguve, Tshwane, may have been sparked by turf wars over extortion rackets is a matter of huge concern.
On Saturday, ironically a day after Human Rights Day, the country was horrified by the news of the cruel murders of a group of community members at an informal settlement in the township. The group, whose mission was said to be to protect the community from criminals, was ambushed, shot, stoned and burnt by another group.
Four victims, including a 19-year-old, died on the spot, while the fifth succumbed to his injuries in hospital. This cruel and shocking episode comes as yet another sickening example of the plague of criminality and general lawlessness in our country.
The incident also points to poor efforts by the police to enforce law and order through regular patrols and timely responses to alerts of crime as it unfolds. The revelation by police leadership that two police officers were among those arrested at the weekend as well as people who impersonated police, adds to the unpalatable reality about the extent of crime in SA.
Had the police been reliable in the execution of their duties, as well as working closely with the community on crime prevention, the need for night-time patrollers in Soshanguve wouldn’t have been necessary.
It is further disheartening that the victims of the savage attack could have been involved in extortion rings in the community, as per Lesufi’s statement. Even if the allegations are true, these men did not deserve to die, more so in such a cruel manner in a country where capital punishment is outlawed.
From previous reports on this type of criminal activity, it is clear extortion rackets thrive in spaces where law enforcement is absent. Last year, the police ministry had to draft in police officers from other provinces to deal with the extortion scourge in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.
Extortion gangs had reduced the residents of the town to a state of fear. No one was spared – from small and big businesses to schools and doctors’ practices – leading to the closure of some essential activities.
Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, is among the blighted areas where extortion gangsters have developed a parallel economy by harassing local businesses by demanding protection fee payments.
Extortion has severely disrupted our public life and restrained economic prospects as seen in the construction sector, making a mockery of our democracy and freedom-orientated constitution. The time is ripe for an integrated law enforcement initiative to be launched to quash it once and for all.
SOWETAN SAYS | Quash extortionists once and for all
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
The assertion by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi that the horrific incident of mob justice in Soshanguve, Tshwane, may have been sparked by turf wars over extortion rackets is a matter of huge concern.
On Saturday, ironically a day after Human Rights Day, the country was horrified by the news of the cruel murders of a group of community members at an informal settlement in the township. The group, whose mission was said to be to protect the community from criminals, was ambushed, shot, stoned and burnt by another group.
Four victims, including a 19-year-old, died on the spot, while the fifth succumbed to his injuries in hospital. This cruel and shocking episode comes as yet another sickening example of the plague of criminality and general lawlessness in our country.
The incident also points to poor efforts by the police to enforce law and order through regular patrols and timely responses to alerts of crime as it unfolds. The revelation by police leadership that two police officers were among those arrested at the weekend as well as people who impersonated police, adds to the unpalatable reality about the extent of crime in SA.
Had the police been reliable in the execution of their duties, as well as working closely with the community on crime prevention, the need for night-time patrollers in Soshanguve wouldn’t have been necessary.
It is further disheartening that the victims of the savage attack could have been involved in extortion rings in the community, as per Lesufi’s statement. Even if the allegations are true, these men did not deserve to die, more so in such a cruel manner in a country where capital punishment is outlawed.
From previous reports on this type of criminal activity, it is clear extortion rackets thrive in spaces where law enforcement is absent. Last year, the police ministry had to draft in police officers from other provinces to deal with the extortion scourge in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.
Extortion gangs had reduced the residents of the town to a state of fear. No one was spared – from small and big businesses to schools and doctors’ practices – leading to the closure of some essential activities.
Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, is among the blighted areas where extortion gangsters have developed a parallel economy by harassing local businesses by demanding protection fee payments.
Extortion has severely disrupted our public life and restrained economic prospects as seen in the construction sector, making a mockery of our democracy and freedom-orientated constitution. The time is ripe for an integrated law enforcement initiative to be launched to quash it once and for all.
Soshanguve residents in fear after five people are murdered
Four killed in altercation between patrollers and group of people in Soshanguve informal settlement
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