Ducats, Lion Park stand-off
● Missing man’s clothes in lion cage ● Farmer’s in tense stand-off ● Police sceptical about unbloodied clothes
SCORES of angry Ducats residents yesterday squared up against the owners of the Lion Park and local farmers in a bitter row over missing Ducats worker Spoto Ratazayo, 51.
The Lion Park’s four lions are being accused of getting rid of the allegedly murdered corpse of Ratazayo, which Lion Park owners, Mark and Wendy Johnson emphatically deny, saying their business and their cats are being framed.
Ratazayo’s fate, his missing remains, and community outrage were linked by the police yesterday to Monday night’s torching of a petrol tanker and trailer on the N6 which also set the bush alight.
Police were sent to the scene and the fire department put out the blaze.
Dispatch went to the scene yesterday morning and saw five farmers in bullet proof vests armed with 9mm pistols and three hunting rifles parked in bakkies at the entrance to the lion park.
Ducats residents were standing and sitting at the turn-off to the Lion Park about 70m away.
Ratazayo’s overalls and black shorts were found inside a lion’s cage on Monday, said EL police spokesman Hazel Mqala.
He was last seen on April 11 when he and a friend, Yalekile Gasela, were felling trees at sunset on a farm adjacent to the lion park, said Spoto’s younger brother, Fayinisi Ratazayo, from the scene.
Fayinisi said Gasela was 300 metres away from Ratazayo when he heard two gun shots from a white bakkie.
Gasela fled in fear and Ratazayo has not been seen since, said Fayinisi.
Fayinisi and the Johnson’s told the Dispatch that Ratazayo’s clothes were found by workers in the lion’s cage on Monday.
The discovery sparked community protests.
Ducats community member Patrick Soenies, speaking with 10 people around, criticised the police for failing to make arrests even though the community had given them “leads”.
“The police have failed us in this matter. We as the community are determined to get to the bottom of this,” said Soenies.
The Johnsons and the police yesterday allowed Soenies, two Ratazayo family members and others making up a delegation of 11 in total to inspect the lion park. They were accompanied by 11 police officers. The Johnsons kept the number of people down saying they did not want to unsettle and frighten the big cats. The Dispatch was not allowed in. The park is home to four lions, two tigers and a cheetah.
Farmers, who did not want to give their names for fear of being targeted, said: “They want to take law into their own hands and that is the problem we have. The police are doing their investigation and that is it.”
The farmers disputed the protesters’ claims saying no one was shot, but they conceded that “someone fired warning shots”.
When asked by police to talk to the protesters, the farmers refused.
“We don't want to talk with them, we are only here to protect the site and the farmers in this area,” they said.
Mark and Wendy Johnson said: “Someone is clearly trying to frame us.”
“Someone clearly just threw the stuff inside and it is not he first time,” said a puzzled Mark.
When community leader Nwabisa Ncube exited after the walkabout, he said they could not find anything.
Warrant officer Mqala said they are were suspicious about about the evidence provided to the police.
“The clothes did not have any sign of blood or being torn off,” she said. The clothes would be examined in greater detail for other clues.
She added that the police dog unit, flying squad and a helicopter had been deployed in April to to search the area for Ratazayo and no clothes were found.
Mqala said one of the farmers claimed to have shot a toy gun in the air on the day Ratazayo was last seen.
Rataziya’s younger brother, Fayinisi Ratazayo, said: “We just want his bones so that we can bury him.
“Any part is enough.”
Mqala said: “People should stop this thing of burning people’s cars, because they have done nothing.
“We are still looking for him. We urge people with information to come forward.”—