Extortionists in Cape Town have claimed their latest victim, Mzimkhulu Nojozi, a prominent Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) Western Cape leader who was gunned down near his home in Gugulethu, allegedly for refusing to comply with demands.
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Nojozi (63), was a senior interpreter at the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court and a longtime Azapo member.
According to the party, he played an important role in the Gun Free Society movement.
It is claimed that Nojozi was shot and killed by a group of young people after refusing to pay a ‘protection fee’ demanded by extortionists for his flat rentals.
According to Azapo President Nelvis Qekema, Nojozi informed his comrades a few days before his death that he had been visited by ‘young boys’ who demanded he share the rent paid by tenants in his backyard flats with them.
Reagen Allen, MEC for police oversight and community safety, stated that the province is doing everything possible to put an end to extortion-related incidents.
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‘In this province, we have an integrated extortion committee, which compromises the Western Cape government, the City of Cape Town and SAPS, and part of the reason why we have established this committee is to ensure we combat these types of crimes. I maintain that we need greater police visibility, while SAPS should also use their intelligence optimally.’
‘This will go a long way to prevent murders such as these. I encourage residents to report all extortion attempts and matters on 0800 31 44 44, so that perpetrators of this and all other related crimes can be arrested and convicted,’ said Allen.
The City of Cape Town reported a significant increase in the number of law enforcement escorts for City employees and contractors, coinciding with the launch of the Facility Protection Officers initiative to combat the rise in extortion-related threats.
‘Since the introduction of the FPOs, there has been a 32% increase year-on-year in visits and patrols at city facilities and a 20% drop in alarms received,’ said Safety and Security Mayco member JP Smith.
‘The number of escorts provided to city departments and contractors increased from 759 in a nine-month period in 2022–23 to 1 292 during the same period in the current financial year, representing a 70% increase.’
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