Khekhe's sidekicks run extortion ring, say residents
Taxi boss' lawyer says his client is not involved
Mamelodi residents allege that the Boko Haram group in the township is run by former sidekicks of feared jailed taxi boss Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela.
A taxi driver and a businessman with intimate knowledge of the group and its alleged extortion operations in the township claim the group is run by men previously linked to Mathibela.
Although Mathibela has strongly denied the extortion claims and links to the vigilante group, locals claim the group is made up of men who used to work for him.
Boko Haram rose to notoriety in the last two years after Mathibela, who is now an awaiting-trial prisoner, was arrested and kept in custody since March 2019 following claims of running an extortion ring targeting local business people, spaza shop owners and taxi bosses.
A taxi driver in the township who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “These boys were working for Vusi Khekhe, doing rounds for him across the township. So they decided to take over and continue after he got arrested.
“The very same strategy that he (Mathibela) gave them is what they’re using right now and we are all scared of them, including the police.”
A local businessman who laid a case against Mathibela in 2018 after he was shot for allegedly refusing to be extorted of money claimed Boko Haram was continuing with Mathibela’s operations in the township.
The businessman has had to relocate from the township, fearing for his life.
“What Boko Haram is doing is very similar to what Vusi did, they’re just doing it for themselves this time around,” he said.
The businessman claims the group is now targeting people who own land in Nelmapius and taking the land from them by force.
Mathibela’s lawyer, Adv Solomon Mkhabela, said: “I don’t have any knowledge about that Boko Haram issue, my client and I are in the dark about it. I also don’t have any instruction related to it.”
A member of Boko Haram told Sowetan that it was untrue that they were working with or for Mathibela, claiming they had not even met him.
Mathebula has been in custody since March 2019 after he was arrested on extortion and intimidation charges in Mamelodi. The charges were later withdrawn.
However, Mathibela’s bail in the murder case of North West businessman Wandile Bozwana was revoked and his R50,000 forfeited to the state after he was found to have violated his bail conditions by leaving the country.
Mathibela is accused of being the mastermind in the murder of Bozwana and the case is expected back in court in May for closing arguments.
Police minister Bheki Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said: “There are successes as you know and before the arrests, the Minister spoke with leadership of a Gauteng SAPS about the matter to say the status quo [in Mamelodi] can’t remain, all must be done is to bring an end to this criminality.”