Five alleged extortionists who allegedly preyed on the home of people living with disability in the Mthatha West informal settlement of Chris Hani Park have have been denied bail.
The Mthatha magistrate’s court turned down the bail application of Nkosiphendule Mseswa 55, Boyce Kani, 67, Sthembiso Mbube 46 and Bongile Mnyanda 55. Together with their alleged accomplice Nolimlandelo Pamla, 44, they were taken into custody in July.
It is alleged that they had gone to one of the alleged victims’ farmhouse. There they demanded keys from her after she had stopped paying the “rent” on the house. She had lived in the house for over 14 years.
Three more impaired residents of the EFATA complex for the deaf and blind have filed charges against the five. They include four instances of attempted extortion. The complaints date back to 2015.
Self-appointed officials and henchmen
Mseswa and Pamla are said to be a married couple. They are alleged to be headman and sub-headman of part of the Chris Hani Park informal settlement, respectively. The two are not recognised by the Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs.
Kani is also an alleged self-proclaimed board member. The other three are allegedly their right-hand men who provided muscle in their alleged activities.
They had allegedly been collecting money from the residents at the complex that is owned by Imfesane Trust. The Trust inherited the complex from the erstwhile Transkei Homeland.
They allegedly demanded rent money from the homeowners under falsified information. The residents were made to believe that the land at which the settlement is situated had been restituted to the Mthatha West community. The latter questionably settled there after 1994, long after the complex was built.
Bail denied
Prosecutor Prince Nofemela argued against their release on bail. He stated that the complainants, all of whom are either blind or deaf, had been harassed by the five. And their handlers, who are still at large, are using threats. The complainants’ lives would be in danger if they are released on bail. Also that one of the accused had a pending case of murder against him.
Meanwhile, three more accused persons are to make their first appearance in Mthatha magistrate’s court. They are charged with kidnapping and extortion. This was allegedly committed against a foreign national in Waterfall township, also in Mthatha.
