The tracking course, which AfriForum has established in partnership with a world-renowned tracking expert, aims to fill the gap of effective tracking skills in the rural areas. This is at a time when South Africa continues to grapple with rising rural crime, particularly vicious farm attacks, livestock raids, and illegal crossing of borders.

According to the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) 2022/2023 crime statistics, over 5,000 stock theft cases were reported nationally, with Limpopo, Free State, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal being the hardest hit. The African Agricultural Union also reported a 10% year-on-year increase in farm-related crime, with farmers’ often citing response times and insufficient investigative capacity as major stumbling blocks. In addition, Agri SA has consistently alerted the public to the increasing levels of sophistication and organization of rural criminal syndicates that spill across South Africa’s porous boundaries.

AfriForum’s four-day training course, which combines theory and practical instruction on various types of terrain, teaches participants to identify, recognise, and follow human footprints over long distances. It also comprises tactical awareness training for potentially threatening encounters with armed criminals. Six of AfriForum’s top safety staff went through the course as part of its pilot project, and it will soon be offered to specially selected members of the organisation’s rural safety networks.

Roelof Viljoen, Business Development Officer of BACSA, greeted the initiative but called on it to be framed in accordance with national training standards and operating systems.

“BACSA welcomes the initiative by AfriForum,” said Viljoen.

“We hope the skill and its implementation will be taken into consideration in existing Rural Safety structures. It can then be implemented into operations, with Law Enforcement guidance. The course should be open to all participants and registered with SASSETA”.

SASSETA – the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority – regulates and accredits safety-related training in South Africa. Accreditation ensures that every rural safety officer, whether private or civil society, operates from the same professional and ethical base.

AfriForum’s Training Manager, Thomas van Dalen, also emphasised that tracking should not be done in isolation.

“Tracking needs to be complemented by command-and-control action that is taken from the operation’s tactical headquarters or joint operations centre. Technology application – i.e., drones and CCTV, well-rehearsed contingency planning, and proper communication will make a big contribution to enabling the work of the tracker. All security role-players need to be coordinated,” van Dalen said.

This multifaceted rural safety approach aligns with BACSA’s strategic philosophy: that public-private collaboration, intelligence sharing, and uniform training are key to preventing and responding to rural crime effectively.

AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety Spokesperson, Jacques Broodryk, was hopeful for the initiative’s long-term prospects.

“This course provides a practical and experiential solution to a real problem that communities face on a daily basis. By developing these skills in-house, we improve AfriForum’s ability to act quickly and effectively in the event of emergencies.”

AfriForum also made plans to develop an advanced tracking course and certified instructor program to further disseminate rural safety skills across South Africa.

As rural crime evolves, innovative and collaborative answers will be required to protect lives, assets, and food security. BACSA, while promoting community-based safety initiatives, demands that they are accredited, accessible, and fully coordinated with the SAPS and broader national safety strategies. If well-coordinated, schemes like AfriForum’s tracking course could be an integral part of South Africa’s efforts to combat rural crime.

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The objective of the summit is to get stakeholder input into recommendations for a more efficient police role,” Viljoen said.

He highlighted BACSA’s emphasis on securing constant betterment through the application of private sector skills.

“Business contributes by contributing to the implementation of constant betterment by providing private sector skills,” he said.

One of the key areas that BACSA is working on is the integration of technology solutions for automating the police operations.

“Some solutions are technology implementations. Care is taken to automate certain processes that assist the core business,” Viljoen said.

He also stressed the importance of change management so that the acceptance and sustainability of the technological advancements are realised.

“Sometimes there is a requirement to clarify roles, responsibility, and scope of the stakeholders,” added Viljoen, highlighting that it was essential to set quality expectations for all processes and not duplicate efforts.

Such coordination between BACSA and law enforcement agencies has given rise to several effective programs aimed at combating crime more effectively. A good example of this is the 2019 Eyes and Ears Initiative (E2) as a joint venture between BACSA, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and private security providers. The initiative is a critical communications bridge that enables real-time information sharing among the private security industry and law enforcement agencies in enhancing situational awareness and response capability.

Viljoen described the importance of such collaborations, stating, “Operationally relevant intelligence is securely fed in real-time to SAPS and its other law enforcement partners. Crime prevention units have controlled access to the intelligence, enabling them to respond more quickly and strategically to extortion incidents.”

The summit also dwelled on citizen involvement in crime prevention. There were demands for the empowerment of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) to create interfaces between the police and the communities so that there would be collaboration between the communities and the police. This was intended to enhance public safety and the trust of communities in the police.

Furthermore, the recent collaboration agreement among SAPS, Gauteng Province, and the City of Johannesburg was quoted as a significant step towards unified crime combating. The agreement focuses on coordinating resources and embracing a new model of policing for increased efficiency and effectiveness.

The Police Summit at Kempton Park is the perfect platform on which stakeholders gather to exchange their strategies for boosting police efficiency, combining technology-based remedies, and advocating people-in-politics partnerships to guarantee effective fighting of crime.

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Roelof Viljoen, Business Development Officer for BACSA, provided this response to ProtectionWeb, detailing the initiative’s impact and the organisation’s efforts to protect companies from criminal blackmail.

The E2 Initiative: An effective crime-fighting tool

Unlike other membership – dependent crime prevention programs, BACSA’s extortion prevention program is not formal membership-dependent. Rather, companies sign up via the E2 Initiative, a nationwide platform aimed at facilitating real-time information sharing among screened private security firms and the South African Police Service (SAPS).

By Viljoen, “The E2 programme currently has 437 screened participants, recorded on our public portal. The programme has also been flagged as one of value by the NatJOINTS National Priority Committee for inducing legal awareness of extortion definition and enabling practical case handling. Early results from SAPS indicate enhanced early reporting and evidence coordination.”

Empowering businesses against extortion

To help businesses identify and prevent extortion attempts, BACSA provides an Extortion Guideline through the E2 portal, along with operational support, industry-specific information sessions, and liaison with provincial priority committees.

“BACSA’s guideline describes how businesses can identify extortion threats, respond appropriately, and report them safely. We also work together with industry organizations to hold training sessions, so that businesses are informed about their rights and available resources,” Viljoen added.

Managing fear of retaliation

Fear of retaliation is a major reason businesses do not want to report extortion. BACSA recognizes the fear and has created the E2 Initiative to provide a secure and protected reporting mechanism.

“One of the most significant difficulties in combating extortion is the fact that victims do not want to report it – more often than not because they are afraid of reprisals or do not trust the justice system. BACSA works with SAPS Provincial Organised Crime Detectives to facilitate a safe and escorted examination of evidence and provide help with case registration. Victims’ identities are protected where possible, and information is dealt with safely,” Viljoen assured.

One of the qualities of E2 is that, once a case has been logged, an assigned local task team – SAPS detectives, municipal police officials, and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) staff

members – may be brought in to develop physical security strategies and augment police patrols in targeted areas.

BACSA recognizes that combat against extortion is possible only through effective coordination between regulators, prosecutors, and law enforcement. Viljoen stressed that BACSA has a facilitating role in achieving harmony among these groups.

“One of the greatest challenges in tackling extortion is ensuring that all actors in the criminal justice system understand their role and are working together. BACSA works in conjunction with the Justice and Crime Prevention Cluster to promote systemic issues and ensure national level responsibility,” he continued.

Cooperation between Private Security and Law Enforcement

Private security firms are a key contributor to the success of E2 because they provide real-time intelligence that increases the situational awareness and response capacity of SAPS.

“With E2, operationally-relevant intelligence is securely fed in real-time to SAPS and its other law enforcement partners. The crime prevention units have controlled access to the intelligence, enabling them to respond more quickly and strategically to extortion incidents,” added Viljoen.

Ensuring a quick and effective response

To facilitate timely response to reported extortion threats, E2 operates 24/7, communicating directly with SAPS Operational Control Centres.

“When a threat is reported, the E2 representatives activate the issue and are actively involved until the issue is resolved. A task team is rapidly assembled, comprising SAPS, municipal police, and NPA representatives. The teams assist businesses in developing safety plans and, where necessary, initiate tactical initiatives such as heightened law enforcement patrols in the area affected,” Viljoen explained.

Rolling out E2 to other sectors

The E2 Initiative started out with the construction and infrastructure sectors, but BACSA is presently extending it to retail, logistics, and SMEs, where companies are increasingly coming under attack by organised crime.

“E2 is engaging in all the major business sectors and growing through collaboration with industry associations and business chambers. We would like to establish it as the core operational interface between private sector businesses and law enforcement for instant crime prevention,” Viljoen said.

Policy engagement and strengthening legal frameworks

Despite the South African legal framework for extorting prosecution being good, there is a challenge for BACSA regarding policy clarity of procurement process still remaining prominent.

“BACSA agrees that our legal system is adequate when properly applied. However, we are calling for more policy transparency, particularly regarding procurement procedures, to prevent loopholes exploited by criminal syndicates. All policy engagements are funneled through the NatJOINTS National Priority Committee to prioritize and optimize resources,” he said.

Proven results: Making an impact on crime prevention

BACSA’s anti-extortion programme has notably seen success in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, where task teams specialising in extortion have successfully disrupted criminal syndicates.

BACSA CEO Dr. Graham Wright recently noted the success of the program: “Our programme has been successful in areas where attempts at extortion were shut down by concerted effort with law enforcement. Now is the time for businesses to make best use of this system to protect their operations.”

Call to action: Businesses must take a stand

BACSA urges all targeted companies to move quickly by reporting incidents through the E2 Initiative. With access to SAPS specialist units, the NPA, and local law enforcement, companies can protect their businesses from criminal threats.

No business should feel the threat of extortion alone. With E2, we leverage the resources we need to move in, keep businesses safe, and close off criminal networks before they take root. If you’ve been affected, now’s the time to act,” Viljoen appealed.

To find out more or report an attempted extortion, call e2.bac.org.za or email BACSA at info@bac.org.za.

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