Extortion threats have severely disrupted toilet-cleaning services in Kraaifontein and Wallacedene, Western Cape, since Monday, 11 November. Workers in the area have reported being approached by a gang demanding protection fees. According to Water and Sanitation MMC Zahid Badroodien, the workers were given a note stating: “We, as protection fee guys, want your truck to pay protection fee here in Kraaifontein. Otherwise, your truck will not work here again in Kraaifontein.”
The areas affected by the extortion include several informal settlements such as Area 19, Covid-19, Social Distance, Tygerberg Racecourse, Simanga-Bloekombos, and Marikana. Badroodien confirmed that the directorate has faced 14 extortion incidents between April 2023 and November 2024, with Kraaifontein being a particularly high-risk area for such threats. In fact, two months ago, a 64-year-old woman was tragically killed in Kraaifontein for allegedly refusing to comply with extortion demands.
Community leader Kabelo Kula, from the Social Distance settlement, confirmed the disruption, stating that toilets have not been emptied in the area since last week due to the threats. “We were informed that the trucks coming to our areas have been threatened. We now face a health hazard,” he said, urging the city to take immediate action. The city has committed to resolving the situation and ensuring the resumption of services as soon as it is safe to do so.
The municipality is urging residents to report any incidents of extortion via the 24-hour hotline, which guarantees anonymity. Extortion has led to significant service disruptions in 23 informal settlements, affecting 2,000 container toilets and 230 chemical toilets. “The city condemns extortion because it directly impacts the dignity of our residents and undermines efforts to deliver essential sanitation services,” said Badroodien. To address the crisis, security and law enforcement support has been arranged to protect service providers and restore the critical sanitation services.
