Extortionists in Cape Town’s townships have turned everyday survival into a dangerous act of defiance. Residents say people have been threatened and assaulted for refusing to pay ‘protection fees’, leaving families trapped between poverty and fear. Shortly after midnight on Saturday, 17 January, eight people were fatally shot in a shebeen in the Marikana informal settlement in Philippi East on the Cape Flats.
Police said the extortion-linked attack happened at about 12.15am when gunmen stormed a shebeen and opened fire on patrons. A terrified resident told Daily Maverick on Monday: “This is what happens when shebeen owners refuse to pay extortion money — they end up dead.” On Monday, two suspects werearrestedfor the murders. Police said they were believed to be part of a local extortion group and known to residents, who are afraid to speak out.
This is not the first mass killing the Marikana informal settlement has endured. On 29 September 2017,11 people were killedin a series of violent incidents. Three days earlier, seven people were murdered.
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A prominent businessman who has served on various forums in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga and Philippi told Daily Maverick: “Please don’t use my name. I want to remain anonymous. I’m well known in township communities, and merely mentioning my name or speaking out against extortion could cost me my life.
“Extortion is so bad in the areas; just painting a line on the streets comes at a cost. Nursing homes, spaza shops, taxi ranks, municipal workers and ordinary persons trying to make money to put food on the table have no option but to pay or close down.” When he spoke about the impact of extortion on the poorest of the poor, his voice faltered. What hurt most, he said, was walking past places that were once full of life.
“I remember a simple car-wash spot where gogos sold raw meat, vetkoek and vegetables, doing whatever they could to put food on the table. Today, those familiar faces are gone. The stalls have vanished. All that remains are dusty, abandoned patches of ground — silent reminders of livelihoods destroyed when traders refused to pay extortion money and were forced to shut down.” No one is immune, with fear stalking township alleys and shacks, while small business owners are forced to pay R500 to R1,000 a month.
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