Latest news with #AnrouxMarais
IOL News
18-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Western Cape summit reveals extortion as a major threat to economic growth
During an anti-extortion summit, the Western Cape government heard of R400 million in stalled infrastructure projects. Image: File Extortion is no longer a shadow crime, but a direct threat to development, public services, and lives in the Western Cape. That was the warning from Premier Alan Winde and Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais during a high-level Anti-Extortion Summit held in Cape Town on Tuesday, June 17. Hosted by the Western Cape Government, the summit brought together law enforcement, business leaders, civil society, and multiple government departments in a bid to confront what officials described as a 'systemic and organised' campaign of criminality. It comes amid growing concern that extortion syndicates are paralysing infrastructure projects, intimidating communities, and undermining job creation. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Winde told the gathering that extortion has effectively 'strangled economic growth', with roughly R400 million worth of public infrastructure projects stalled in the province by the end of 2024 due to criminal interference. 'This is intolerable,' he said. 'We must recommit to working closer together to hit back at these criminals. One way in which we can do this is by giving provinces and municipalities more of a say in policing, adequately resourcing the SAPS in our province, with crime intelligence being significantly bolstered, and by properly capacitating the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).' Marais said extortion has evolved into a serious economic and security crisis, threatening livelihoods, delaying service delivery, and destabilising entire sectors. 'Extortion is a direct threat to livelihoods, small businesses, infrastructure development, and public services,' she said. 'It undermines the rule of law, instills fear in communities, and leaves many of our residents despondent.' The growing trend of gangs demanding 'protection fees' from construction companies, business owners, and even public transport operators has created an environment of fear. 'They are not just stealing money,' Marais added. 'They are stealing opportunities which are critical to economic participation and job creation.' The summit saw government and civil society stakeholders commit to a stronger, more coordinated response to organised extortion. A dedicated multi-sectoral structure will be formed to drive anti-extortion strategies across departments and agencies. Improved data-sharing and the enforcement of last year's Collaboration Agreement between the SAPS, the City of Cape Town, and the provincial government were also highlighted as immediate priorities. Premier Winde said public-private cooperation would be crucial to dismantling extortion networks. He also reiterated the Western Cape's longstanding call for policing powers to be devolved so that local government can respond more effectively to organised crime.
Eyewitness News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Law enforcement fighting tooth and nail to rid Cape Town of crime stigma
CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Anroux Marais says law enforcement agencies in the province are doing all they can to reverse the perception of Cape Town as the country's murder capital. She was responding to billionaire businessman Johann Rupert's comments at the White House last week. Rupert mentioned the Cape Flats as a place with the highest murder rate, adding that it was experiencing gang warfare. Despite seeing a drop in murders between January and March this year, the Western Cape is still one of the four provinces with the highest number of murders reported. The Western Cape crime statistics released on Monday show a decrease of 44 murders for the period under review compared to the same period last year. Murders went from 1,112 from January to March 2024, to 1,068 during the same period in 2025. Marais said law enforcement agencies were trying their best to take the numbers even lower. "We do have our Anti-Gang Unit and a strategy that we are looking at. Our LEAP [Law Enforcement Advancement Plan] officers really did fantastic work with SAPS [South African Police Service], and there was a decrease in the crime rate, specifically in some areas." Gang violence has been identified as the number two reason for the high number of murders in the province.
