Foreign nationals in South Africa are increasingly being targeted in a growing extortion economy, with immigrant-run “spaza” shops bearing the brunt of protection racket schemes across the country.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that a South African man and his two sons, one a police officer, recently appeared before a Cape Town magistrate accused of extorting around 50 convenience stores run by Ethiopians and Somalis, alongside a Somali national accused of collecting “protection fees” near Stellenbosch.
According to Fransina Lukas, head of the community policing forum for the Western Cape, foreign nationals are often targeted because they are more fearful than South Africans, with extortion gangs issuing demand letters before escalating to robbery, harassment and, in severe cases, killings.
In July, at least two foreign nationals were among four people killed in a shooting at a spaza shop in Franschhoek, while a 31-year-old Somali shop owner was shot dead in Cape Town’s Bonteheuwel area. Community leader Mawande Jara said Somali-run shops in Khayelitsha township are particularly targeted, with extortionists assessing victims’ income through bank statements.
The crime remains underreported due to fears of retaliation and suspected police complicity. The Western Cape accounted for nearly half of 112 nationally registered extortion cases between April and June, alongside the highest number of spaza shop murders.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia admitted authorities lack comprehensive solutions, describing the crime as “exploding” after years of smaller-scale activity.
CDA News Nigeria will continue monitoring the safety of foreign nationals in South Africa.
Source verification: Adapted from AFP reporting . CDA News Nigeria adheres to strict editorial standards.
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