A growing extortion crisis is now reaching Western Cape schools, where reports suggest some institutions are being pressured to pay money in exchange for protection, highlighting a deepening safety concern within the education system.
Schools across the Western Cape are increasingly coming under pressure from organised criminal groups, with reports emerging that some are being told to pay money in exchange for so-called protection.
The situation reflects a broader pattern of extortion spreading across communities, now reaching into education spaces that were previously seen as relatively protected environments. Staff and learners are being indirectly affected as school management teams are forced to navigate rising risks linked to theft, vandalism, and intimidation.
According to the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, the full scale of the problem remains difficult to quantify, largely because many incidents are not formally reported. This underreporting is believed to be driven by fear, reputational concerns, and a lack of confidence in timely intervention.
Executive Director Basil Manuel says schools are particularly vulnerable due to limited security resources and ongoing infrastructure challenges.
“Schools are just desperate because schools are so vulnerable, and that is the big issue,” Manuel said. “It’s criminal elements that are purporting to be the protectors.”
He explained that repeated break-ins and the theft of essential items place both financial and emotional strain on schools, often leaving management with difficult choices.
“The department is not coming around to fix, and things are stolen that are sometimes irreplaceable,” he said.
In some instances, schools are reportedly choosing to pay smaller amounts of money to avoid larger losses, a decision Manuel acknowledges is not ideal but reflects the pressure faced on the ground.
“People find, or justify the fact that it is probably easier to pay a little something to prevent those big losses,” he added.
The crisis is unfolding despite the Western Cape maintaining a reputation for strong governance, with the City of Cape Town recently achieving multiple clean audits. However, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke has warned that sound financial management does not eliminate broader societal challenges such as crime and inequality.
The scale of the challenge is significant. With an estimated 24 000 to 25 000 schools across the country, ensuring adequate security coverage remains a major logistical and financial hurdle.
Manuel cautioned that if the issue is not addressed effectively, extortion practices could become further entrenched and normalised in certain communities.
“And so you start having a whole lot more of this happening. Everybody recognises the problem. So it’s not identification that’s the issue, it’s the solution,” he said.
There are also indications that similar patterns have already emerged in other provinces, raising concerns that the problem could expand beyond isolated incidents into a broader national trend.
Education stakeholders and authorities now face mounting pressure to intervene more decisively, as the safety of schools and the stability of learning environments come under increasing threat. Source:
Cape Town Etc – Aiden Daries
