Cape Town — An extortion racket in Philippi, Cape Town, is getting out of hand, small business owners say.
The traders at a small shopping mall in the area claim they are being forced to give the extortionists as much as half of their profits, according to EWN.
They’re caught between a rock and a hard place: If they continue to pay, they face economic hardship; if they don’t, they fear they will be killed.
That’s not an idle threat: earlier this month a salon owner in the area was shot dead for failing to pay the protection fee, business owners said. Others have had to shut up shop.
“It’s getting out of hand, people are dying and people are closing their businesses. They are closed because they couldn’t pay. Those guys, they come and they tell you to pay R50,000 for us to protect you,” one said.
Police are reportedly investigating the salon owner’s murder as well as two other murders linked to extortion in Philippi.
Siseko Mkhize, 17, was shot dead in February allegedly after he was caught filming an extortion transaction at a spaza shop in the Siyahlala informal settlement.
Only 10 days later his older brother, Simphiwe, was shot dead while leaving a prayer meeting being held for Siseko, IOL reported. Two other mourners were also injured in the shooting.
The family has since fled their home in Brown’s Farm, Philippi.
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