CAPE TOWN — Three armed men confronted security guard Tshiamo Nere and two of his colleagues at Khayelitsha's Town Two clinic in Cape Town. "They demanded a protection fee from the security company that employs us to guard the clinic," Nere said.

The armed men threatened to return if their demands were not met. "The patients, frightened, scattered; and nurses ran for their lives," Nere said. The incident marked the first reported targeting of the Town Two clinic, and the security company has not paid the fee.

Col. Andrè Traut, commander of the South African police service in Western Cape province, said, "The investigation has identified an extortion group operating in the area and is at an advanced stage." "Extortion is now a priority focus in the Western Cape, as it undermines community safety and disrupts essential healthcare," he said. South African police do not maintain specific data on violent crime targeting healthcare centers or personnel.

Thapelo Mohapi, secretary general of Abahlali baseMjondol, said, "Most violence, extortions and muggings go unreported." "The Cape Town incident was in the spotlight last month when it happened, but it is not an isolated incident," he said. "It happens in Johannesburg; it happens in Port Elizabeth city."