The Hawks say reported incidents of kidnapping and extortion cases are declining, thanks to a combination of hi-tech solutions, proactive security and police campaigns.
However, at least one businessman said they were used to lulls in the attacks before “another group takes over”.
An East London taxi boss has intervened after being approached by under-siege business owners and is providing protection services to local businesses against the kidnappers.
Some business owners had fallen prey to syndicates who demanded ransoms or protection fees.
The taxi boss’s intervention comes amid unconfirmed allegations that some taxi industry operators might have had a hand in the falling number of extortion and kidnapping cases around the province.
A foreign businessman, who did not want to be named for fear of being targeted, whose close associates had been kidnapping victims, confirmed the decline in cases within the foreign-owned business community but said it was normal.
“This has been happening here for years ... people were scared they would be targeted but finally came out last year.
“They were scared to come out, even to police.
“I think that is part of the reason for the decline. There are also security companies helping to curb the problem.
“It’s still happening, but businesses feel stronger — while being very careful.
“But there’s always a decline before a new group comes up. Either guys are arrested or shot, but soon others take over.
“It used to be foreign-owned businesses, but now they don’t care. They also target rich South Africans. It’s easy money.”
Hawks provincial spokesperson Captain Yoliswa Mgolodela said 132 cases of kidnapping and extortion were being investigated by the corruption-busting unit across the province.
Thirty-five of those cases are now in court.
Mgolodela, who attributed the decline to Hawks awareness campaigns across the province, said 26 cases from Buffalo City Metro had been investigated and were now in court.
In Gqeberha, five cases were in court, Mthatha had two, and Mbizana and Komani one each.
“Since our awareness campaigns, which ran until April, it has been quiet,” Mgolodela said.
Some of the kidnapping victims or potential targets, Mgolodela said, included “anyone with financial muscle”.
These included wealthy local and foreign businesspeople, pensioners who had received lump sums from the Government Employees Pension Fund, insurance company beneficiaries and Road Accident Fund beneficiaries.
Provincial police insiders also attributed the decline to the use of “new technology not previously available in the province”.
“The use of this new technology has had a great impact and has resulted in a drastic decline in these cases,” one insider said.
“Such technology can track down cellphones in the proximity of a phone used in demanding a ransom, and that has led to a number of arrests.”
Provincial transport and community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha recently said he was aware of allegations that the taxi industry had been infiltrated by extortionists.
Nqatha had charged that taxi violence, more than other matters affecting the industry, was caused by gang wars over turf, and a war between taxi leaders in different gangs of extortionists in their private capacities.
But Mgolodela said it was difficult to comment on the alleged involvement of taxi industry operators “since investigations are ongoing and no evidence has yet led to the taxi industry”.
Nqatha has had a series of engagements with taxi leaders in a bid to solve the ongoing provincial taxi violence, where extortion was alleged to be an issue.
Taxi bosses recently confirmed having met the MEC and that extortion issues were raised.
The taxi bosses said to clean up their industry, they resolved to embark on campaigns to assist police expose and arrest those taxi leaders suspected of involvement in extortion.
Uncedo Taxi Association president Fuzile Teacher Mtshengele, Santaco A provincial chair Zola Bishop Yolelo and Border Alliance Taxi Association Mthatha branch chair Simphiwe Qhinga have all, on different platforms, spoken out against extortion.
Mtshengele said: “We will not allow people to masquerade as taxi owners while they are extortionists.
“The sooner these individuals are identified and prosecuted, the better for the industry.”
Yolelo said: “We are running a professional and legal business and people must not use it as the den of gangs of criminals.
“We are volunteering and co-operating with police in their investigations to restore the integrity of the industry.”
Qhinga said: “This is very serious and some businesses have closed.
“No fewer than three fuel stations in Mthatha have closed because of demands for protection fees. This is a sad and scary scenario.”
Santaco B provincial chair Gabs Mtshala said he was aware of the allegation, “but [was] not confirming or denying that there were allegations that high-ranking officials within the taxi industry are accused of being gang leaders of extortionists, especially in the OR Tambo district”.
Mtshala, who has since established Gabs Security Services to protect businesses in the wake of the kidnapping and extortion cases, also confirmed the decline in the number of cases.
“In Buffalo City, I had a session with all taxi leaders, and we spoke strongly against extortion and how it can cause harm to the industry if some of us are involved.”
Mtshala said taxi associations around BCM were approached by under-siege foreign business owners seeking protection.
“They approached me asking us to protect them. They offered to pay us a protection fee, but I said no.
“We told them that we as a taxi association cannot protect them and receive fees from them, as that could lead to conflicts and would be tantamount to extortion.
“We said we’d rather do it in a professional way and that is why I opted to establish my own professional security company to assist in protecting some of these businesses.
“Cases have now gone down in our area as we have managed to chase those responsible away.”
Mtshala said he was aware that some of those responsible had come from Cape Town and had left that city because “it was saturated with extortionists”.
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