Concerns over low extortion conviction rates in WC cases

SERIOUS concerns have been raised about the State's ability to successfully prosecute extortion cases in the Western Cape, after figures revealed that hundreds of arrests have resulted in just a single conviction.

- MURRAY SWART

According to a parliamentary reply cited by the DA, 331 people were arrested for extortion-related offences in the province from April 1, 2024 and mid-December this year, yet only one conviction has been secured. During the same period, 571 extortion cases remain under investigation.

The DA said the figures point to a justice system struggling to dismantle extortion syndicates that continue to terrorise communities, cripple small businesses and disrupt essential services across the province.

The concerns are partly reflected in official SAPS crime statistics for the second quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, which show extortion-linked violence emerging as a persistent feature of serious crime in the province.