Threatened with extortion, a Langa madrasa's plight ignites community action, as local leaders push for legal intervention and condemnation of attacks on faith spaces.

Senior Cape Town Muslim clerics and community leaders stepped in late last week to help a Langa madrasa open a criminal case after an extortionist threatened to shut it down if its management didn't pay a R3,000 "initiation fee" and a monthly payment of R500 for "protection".

In a chilling recorded phone call with the extortionist, a school representative explains that the institution is not a for-profit business.

It provides daily meals, transportation, and schooling for children in the area.

"This is God's house," said the leader. "We don't make money. We are praying for you."

The madrasa operates under the auspices of Langa Township Projects.

When the school representative tried to set up a meeting with the extortionist, he replied that they must "come to Langa".

When a school official tried to file criminal charges, they were reportedly given the runaround. Cape Town Underground Business (CTUB) spokesperson Sayed Ridhwaan said they stepped in after Diep River police turned the official away, directing them to the Langa Police Station instead. Ridhwaan added that the extortionist claimed that all businesses in the area were complying with similar demands.

He said they intervened out of a deep concern for the safety of...