Court granted interdicts to two firms against Thokwana in 2020

Two companies had to file for protection orders to keep the Pretoria business extortionist Eric Pibi Thokwana from terrorising and harassing their employees.

Constantia Metering Services and WBHO Construction had to bring separate urgent court applications at the Pretoria High Court in 2020 to stop Thokwana’s weeks of terror on their workers and business premises. The court granted the interdict with costs and instructed Thokwana and his group to stop harassing, intimidating or threatening the workers. It further said he must stay away from the premises of both businesses. 

According to court documents, in the Constantia matter, workers alleged that Thokwana would prevent workers from accessing certain buildings in Tshwane to read water and electricity meters for billing purposes. The group also demanded the company zero the meters for one month in 2020. 

“The applicant submits that its employees have on several occasions been confronted by the respondents regarding the performance of its duties with the first respondent [Thokwana] acting as the leading figure,” read the judgement delivered in November 2020.

According to an affidavit submitted by Hercules Bye from Constantia Metering, their clash with Thokwana started in June 2020 when the workers were blocked from accessing the Hollard Place building. He said Thokwana and his group demanded that reconnection fees and warning fees be removed from consumers accounts.

“They wanted to represent Constantia for a fee. They did not stipulate a figure at that stage, but they wanted a full list of buildings so that they could ‘sort out problems when they arise’ on our behalf.

“A video recording shows that they wanted payback of amounts that we had been ‘robbing’ them. The first respondent can clearly be heard stating that they will burn bakkies and prevent Constantia from accessing the buildings serviced by us,” wrote Bye.

The company met Thokwana again in the same month and he stated that if no agreement could be reached with his 20,000 members he would become violent and that he and his two partners Lebogang Pebane and Saintjay Manyasha wanted to be consultants at a fee of R45,000 per month.

A video recording shows that they wanted payback of amounts that we had been ‘robbing’ them. The first respondent can clearly be heard stating that they will burn bakkies and prevent Constantia from accessing the buildings serviced by us.

—  Hercules Bye

“The first respondent and his henchmen also demanded ‘petrol money’...and R1,000 in cash was given to the first respondent,” read the affidavit. 

Bye said a third meeting was set up by Thokwana at the Wimpy in Queenswood. At this time, Thokwana and his group had blocked access to the Hollard Place building for a month.

“I wanted to meet with the first respondent alone because it seemed that his own interests differed from those of the people he claimed to represent,” said Bye. 

The company’s technicians were confronted by Thokwana again when they attempted to read meters on July 15, they were told if they continued doing so “things will get ugly”.

A week later Thokwana led a group to protest outside the company’s offices where they blocked entrants and chased customers away. The workers, who were trapped inside, watched in shock as the group started removing old tyres from the poles and threatened to burn cars on the property. 

The protest ended after managers promised to escalate the group’s demands to the directors. 

“The first respondent again asked for ‘petrol money’ as the crowd was still outside. I reluctantly gave him R500 to get the crowd away so we could leave the building,” said Bye.

In the follow-up meeting in August, security guards had to be called to disperse the crowd, which had held workers hostage. 

In describing Thokwana’s character, Bye told the court he has demonstrated that he was not scared of authority. “He engages in any form of sham protest to extort money and it is perfectly clear that he does not have the interests of his followers and fellow protesters at heart... It is clear that the applicant and its employees are threatened by a sophisticated grouping that uses threats and intimidation to secure compliance with their demands.”

In the WHBO matter, the court paper revealed that Thokwana and his group visited the company’s construction site in Centurion in March 2020 and demanded the setting up of a steering committee and the appointment of a community liaison officer. 

Three months later the group forced their way into the site and threatened to shut it down before the company decided to take them to court. 

Thokwana hung up the phone when Sowetan asked him to comment on these cases.

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