The comparison of the extortion gangs that are running rampant in the country to the organised crime elements or mafia that operate in the United States has become commonplace.

What is clear is that the extortion gangs started as disorganised structures that initially targeted public sector projects and over a period of time have evolved into structured syndicates that use extortion, intimidation, violence and sabotage against contractors in both the public and private sector.

The cost to the taxpayer and the State in the construction sector alone is estimated to be R63 billion since 2019, affecting 180 projects.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, during the National Construction Summit on Crime Free Construction Sites held in Durban recently, warned that those benefiting from activities on the ground while “sitting in posh suburbs and directing activities via a phone” would be key targets of the police.

This is not new in the history of organised crime, especially when compared to the US where the kingpins were untouchable and lower-level mobsters were usually the ones being arrested.

This all changed in the 1970s when the US Congress passed the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (Rico) Act, which proved to be one of the most powerful tools used to take down mobsters.

In South African law, in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca), it is an offence for a person to be associated with an enterprise that engages in a pattern of racketeering activity.

Mchunu said that police were escalating their investigations to target the “movers”, saying the criminals active on site were not actually the movers.

“You are no longer safe and we will reach out for everybody.

“We want to go for the bigger fish who are fed,” Mchunu said.

To do this will require all our security agencies, including private security, to develop plans to respond to this crime.

Most importantly, there must be political will to deal with the extortion mafia who are an unacceptable impediment to progress in the country.

THE MERCURY