WC SAPS say efforts to clamp down on extortion in Khayelitsha yielding positive results

CAPE TOWN - Western Cape police said that their efforts to clamp down on extortion in areas like Khayelitsha were yielding positive results.

Acting provincial police commissioner, Bongani Maqashalala, said this followed the recent arrest of several members of different extortionist groups that have been terrorising the township.

Maqashalala said they'd arrested five members from one group, accused of being responsible for 10 murders between them.

In the second group, eight members were currently behind bars for 13 murders, two attempted murders, and extortion.

Maqashalala said: "These are the groups that were fighting amongst themselves. Also, we want to appreciate the assistance that we got from the neighbourhood watch, as well as the City of Cape Town, because we had an integrated operation."

He added that they were still concerned about areas like Mitchells Plain, Mfuleni, and Delft.

"We're working on those; we have got deployments in place, multi-disciplinary in nature," said Maqashalala.