Vigilantes kick woman out of her home

Residents say Nosipho Luthuli was protecting her son, whom they accused of being involved in criminal activities

Nosipho Luthuli, 71, says that in August angry community members gave her 10 hours to vacate her Butterworth home of 48 years or risk it being torched and her being attacked.

The residents in the Msobomvu township were accusing Luthuli of protecting her son Anele, 35, whom the community accused of engaging in criminal activities in the area.

Anele has since fled the township after the community threatened him.

Luthuli said a group of angry residents had visited her on August 13 to tell her the news that she was no longer needed in the house she has called home since 1974.

The community accused her of protecting Anele after a decision was taken to chase him out of the township. Now, three months later, Luthuli said her life had become miserable.

She is in hiding in a shack that belongs to a relative, and longs to return to her home, but is afraid she may be attacked.

“Community members wanted to burn my house,” she said. “They told me to leave or I would be attacked.

“I was so scared that I left the area in the morning on August 14. The whole situation has taken its toll on my health.

“I have been appealing to police to help me return to my home and ensure my safety, but with no success.

“I am suffering and have become a burden to my relative. But she is not complaining and she is happy for my safety.

“I have a grandchild who was forced to abandon schooling in grade 9 because of fears for her safety. It is painful to imagine what is going to happen to my grandchild. She has been out of school since August.”

Luthuli agreed that Anele had engaged in criminal activities, but she said he was a changed man now.

“The community members who threatened me have not given me proof that Anele is engaged in criminal activities.”

Mnquma local municipality spokesperson Loyiso Mpalantshane said it “strongly condemns any acts of vigilantism and calls on all residents to resist the temptation of taking the law into their own hands, because that on its own is against the laws of the country”.

“At a local level and working with the SAPS, Mnquma has already established community policing sub-forums that are active in crime-fighting across our towns of Centane, Ngqamakwe and Butterworth.”

He said the municipality was engaging with residents and all other relevant stakeholders to establish ward-based community police forums.

“The ward-based structures will be composed of street committees in townships and village committees in rural areas as part of our all-encompassing efforts in creating safer communities. It is worth noting that we have experienced some resistance from some sections of society, including some people in Msobomvu who do not want to be part of the formal structures.

“However, we will always encourage people to report criminal activities to the SAPS, who are the designated and competent authority to deal with crime in our country.”

Msobomvu residents have been leading a campaign to rid the township of crime in recent months. A community leader, who asked not be named, confirmed that the Msobomvu community members decided to expel Anele from the township because of his alleged involvement in criminal activities, including housebreaking and theft.

“I would not really like to comment on claims by her [Nosipho] because she opened a case against the community members,” the community leader said.

Attempts to get police comment were unsuccessful.