Another new mafia taking hold in South Africa

Criminal mafia groups are increasingly targeting schools across South Africa, threatening staff and demanding protection fees of as much as 10% of teacher salaries.

South Africa is experiencing a surge in organised crime syndicates taking advantage of failings in government and policing capabilities.

Mafia-style groups are a growing concern for the country, with the most prominent being the construction, water tanker, taxi, and tender mafias. 

However, there are increasing reports that these types of criminal groups have started to target schools in vulnerable areas for protection fees. 

At the end of 2024, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube raised deep concerns about the increasing rate of extortion in the Eastern Cape.

Her nationwide campaign to assess challenges in the education sector has highlighted how schools, once considered safe havens for learners, are now facing a dangerous threat from organised crime.

The Eastern Cape, home to over 5,000 schools, has become a hotspot for extortion-related crime. 

One example involved a group of extortionists storming the Efata School for the Blind and demanding R50,000 from a school nurse.

When the nurse refused, the criminals seized his mobile phone, laptop, and television. They later sent a message to the school principal, reiterating their demand for the money.

This type of crime is growing as it has now been reported across multiple provinces in South Africa, with teachers too scared to go to work. 

In February 2025, teachers of Zanemfundo Primary School in Phillipi East were reportedly told to pay 10% of their monthly salaries for protection. 

Too scared to go to work, the teachers went to the Education Department’s district offices in Mitchells Plain in March to voice their safety concerns, and classes were cancelled.

The incident was reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS), but little has been done to investigate the issue. 

One teacher at the school told GroundUp that the perpetrators are known to them and the community, yet the police have not acted.

Crackdown on crime at schools

The SAPS said that extortion incidents have been reported at several schools and are being investigated, but for privacy and security reasons, it was unable to disclose the names of the schools or complainants.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has expressed deep concern over the escalating levels of violence and criminal activity plaguing South African schools. 

She said South Africa can no longer simply condemn the violence or visit grieving families, and emphasised the need for a coordinated, systemic response. 

She noted that 40% of reported school crimes involve learner-on-learner violence, but increasingly serious issues, such as weapons, gang violence, rape, and extortion, go beyond what teachers can manage.

Gwarube said the department has partnered with the SAPS to implement a targeted, evidence-led school safety protocol to address this. 

“South Africa has 24,000 schools and only around 2,000 police stations. So a blanket approach doesn’t work,” she said. 

Instead, authorities are focusing on 283 schools identified as being in high-crime or “red zones.” 

She added that police visibility will be increased at these schools, especially at the start and end of the school day, which are peak times for crime.

Search and seizure operations will also be conducted at schools where there’s a reasonable suspicion of weapons or drugs. 

Gwarube stressed the importance of including community policing forums, parents, and educators in local safety committees. 

“We don’t want an over-militarisation of schools. However, we must protect our learners and teachers.”

According to Ian Cameron, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, extortionists thrive in an environment of lawlessness and a lack of consequences.

“What started with isolated incidents has grown into a leviathan threatening businesses, long-distance buses, and, most disturbingly, schools,” he said. 

On Tuesday (24 June), Police Minister Senzo Mchunu launched a new five-year collaborative implementation protocol between the SAPS and the Basic Education Department.

The protocol aims to improve safety in schools around the country. Mchunu said people found extorting schools and attacking teachers will face the full force of the law.