READER LETTER | Cashing in on anti-immigrant protests

In recent times of protests against illegal immigrants, opportunistic owners of the means of production have popped up exactly like popcorn ready for moviegoers. WhileAbahambeactivists drive out undocumented people, it has sparked criminal networks that are making a headlong pursuit of sudden wealth in a new, lucrative field. They rake in hundreds of thousands of rand by charging exorbitant protection fees (extortion) to foreign-owned shops.

Not to miss the high-speed gravy train, political parties struggling with inadequate allocations from the Political Funding Act have also rushed to boost their local government election campaigns. The same fate that befell the Post Office when courier service companies aggressively entered the market is befalling the SAPS. Its membership of about 187,000 police officers is overshadowed by private security firms with more than 2.4-million security guards, both registered and unregistered by Psira. Welcome to the new SA of privatisation and modern-day state capture.— Thami Zwane, Edenvale