Peter Gastrow News Today

‘Khayelitsha is not a jungle’ - the slogan for a community campaign fighting against criminal groups that are bleeding the local economy.

Khayelitsha may have its roots in the apartheid project of keeping black residents as far out of town as possible, but its residents feel it's a township filled with the promise of incredible development, if only everyone would stand against crime.

Kidnappings and extortion targeting Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Chinese and Somali nationals are rife in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Blue Downs, Samora Machel and Mfuleni in the Western Cape. Foreign nationals are now considering packing up and returning to their homelands. Kidnappings...

The targets are usually wealthy businesspeople and their families. The kidnappings are often planned by local or national syndicates, who then extort money from the victim’s family.

Experts say there is a marked increase in extortion and kidnappings targeting small businesses and several Cape townships.

Extortionists, who began targeting domestic workers in 2020 for ‘protection’ money, have stepped up their racket as Guptas and Boko Haram gangsters fight for greater control.

Cape Towns illicit economy is growing - Peter Gastrow 3 May 2021 1:15 PM Hes recently penned a report titled, “ Gastrow says the criminal economy is particularly rife in poorer township communities such as Khayelitsha, where threats, intimidation and violence are common practice. Hes welcomed the arrest of alleged underworld boss Nafiz Modack, whos been linked to the spread of protection gangs in Cape Town. Gastrow tells CapeTalk host Lester Kiewit that cases linked to organised crime are ...

R500mn Saldanha Bay cocaine bust may have links to South America Cocaine valued at over half a billion rand was seized on a fishing vessel on Monday night and four suspects from Bulgaria and another six from Myanmar were arrested. Police in the Western Cape seized cocaine valued at over R500 million from a fishing vessel on the Saldana coast on 1 March 2021. Picture: Twitter/@SAPoliceService 43 days ago CAPE...