‘EC extortion big fish still on the run,’ say community members

Some Mthatha community members believe the late alleged extortion kingpin and rogue chief, Sakhumzi Mareke, was just a small fish in a big pond.

They say the real masterminds behind the extortion that continues to wreak havoc in the country are still at large.

The self-proclaimed chief was among the three suspects who were killed in a police shootout yesterday.

Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalinyebo recently accused Mareke of being the mastermind of the rising extortion cases in Mthatha, which have seen many businesses and schools halt operations.

The king also made it clear that Mareke was not recognised as the chief of the Mthatha West area.

Mareke paraded in schools carrying rifles and was accused of running an extortion scheme which sought proceeds of cellphone towers in schools.

It is alleged that he and his accomplices confiscated the hall keys of a local school hall in their quest for protection fees.

A community activist says the lawlessness in Mthatha has gotten out of hand.

“Anyone can wake up and decide to give honour to themselves and name themselves whoever they want to be. It couldn’t have taken this much long; you ask yourself how he become a so-called hero to those that believed him [Mareke]?”

“People on the ground are not protected, where has the law been? I don’t know whether democracy came up with a system of shutting our people’s mouths, our people are scared to talk.”

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) has commended the AbaThembu king for his courage to expose Mareke.

Contralesa’s secretary-general, Zolani Mkiva, has slammed the use of the institution of traditional leaders to terrorise communities.

“We are happy that police are taking their rightful place in society to ensure that they uproot criminals who are masquerading as protectors of the people. It can’t be allowed that the lawlessness assumed the streets of our communities, to the extent that the whole area has descended into anarchy. So, we are happy that this quasi coup by these criminals has been put out of the equation.”

Mkiva adds that the situation of extortion in Mthatha is dire, that even authentic traditional leaders themselves have fallen victim to this crime.

“It took the fearlessness of his majesty to call out these guys and confront them and actually name and shame them in public. Some traditional leaders are killed through the barrel of the gun in the process of trying to defend their people.”

“People like Mareke would have used the name of traditional leaders to pose as one, but people who know the actual leaders were aware and that is why His Majesty decided to call him out.”