Cape Town's protection rackets: A study of violence and control

This paper examines protection racketeering in the Cape Town CBD and on the Cape Flats: two areas where such rackets flourish, despite their vastly different socio-economic profiles

This paper examines protection racketeering in Cape Town, primarily in the central business district (CBD) and on the Cape Flats. While significant security initiatives have been undertaken in the city’s CBD since 1999, protection racketeering still flourishes. This suggests that it is more than a mere reflection of deficiencies in state capacity, and that other factors should also be taken into account. This paper explains protection racketeering and contextualises its development in Cape Town.

About the authors

Khalil Goga is a researcher at the ISS Transnational Threats and International Crime Division. He has been researching organised crime in Africa since 2009 and has been affiliated with the ISS since 2012. He previously lectured at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and received both his undergraduate and master’s degrees from this university.

Charles Goredema is a senior research consultant working on various projects managed by the ISS and the African Development Bank. His focal areas are transnational economic crime, governance and illicit financial flows. A lawyer by training, Charles’ career includes the prosecution of economic crime (Zimbabwe), lecturing courses in Criminal Justice (Zimbabwe and South Africa) and managing research projects focusing on organised crime (South Africa).