AbaThembu royal house welcomes SAPS' effort to curb Mthatha West crime
This followed a shootout between alleged extortionists and police on Monday night.
Six suspects, who opened fire when they were stopped by law enforcement on the R61 road between Mthatha and Ngcobo, were all shot and killed.
The royal house of AbaThembu said residents of Mthatha West have been terrorised by extortionists for years.
The royal house advisor, Matthew Mpahlwa, said there were times when the area resembled a ghost town because multiple businesses and institutions would close their doors after they weren't able to pay protection fees.
Mpahlwa said some schools in the area were pressured to pay up to R50,000 to continue operating.
He added people there have been living in fear.
'They are very scared to speak up or to report these criminal elements to the police. In other words, it becomes a private contract between the shop owner and the said extortionist who comes at a specific time to collect money or the militant security guards would come and collect at a specified time, and that shop owner wouldn't dare tell the other one, but this is what is happening.'
Mpahlwa said they are grateful for the work of the police's National Intervention Unit, which has been deployed in the area.
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