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South Africa’s escalating mafia-style extortion crisis has taken a new turn, with criminals seizing control of public taps and toilets in informal settlements, demanding payment for their use.
The City of Cape Town raised alarm over the issue this week, stating that these facilities were meant to be free for residents across 487 informal settlements under its jurisdiction.
According to BusinessTech, the city warned that no individual or group was permitted to restrict access, charge fees, or prevent residents from collecting water.
“It is unacceptable that extortionists are trying to make money by restricting access to free basic services from vulnerable residents unless they are prepared to pay an illegal fee,” the city said.
Authorities have urged residents to report incidents through the city’s anonymous tip-off line, emphasizing a zero-tolerance stance against such activities.
This latest form of extortion adds to a growing trend of mafia-like syndicates operating across South Africa, from small-scale criminals exploiting vulnerable communities to sophisticated networks targeting major industries.
Among the most notorious is the construction mafia, which has stalled or forced the abandonment of multi-billion-rand projects by invading sites and demanding protection fees or a share of contracts.
Another is the water tanker mafia, which deliberately vandalizes infrastructure, forcing municipalities to rely on private water tankers. In Gauteng alone, municipalities spent R2.367 billion on water tanker services between 2018 and August 2023.
With basic services increasingly under threat, authorities are under pressure to curb these criminal enterprises before they further disrupt essential infrastructure.
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