Hostel dwellers in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, have reacted with shock and disappointment to the release on bail of two alleged members of Boko Haram – a vigilante group that is accused of hijacking municipal housing units in the area.
The Pretoria magistrate's court yesterday released Mncedisi Donald Ntloko and Sibongile Mabele, both aged 37, on R10,000 bail each on their fraud and contravention of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act charges. Their case has been postponed to May 10 for further investigation.
The state opted not to oppose bail for the pair yesterday, citing the fact that the accused had no previous convictions and that their addresses had been verified.
This, however, flew in the face of allegations of intimidation levelled against the group which the pair are alleged to be members of and that cases levelled against it were previously withdrawn out of fear.
"After assessing personal circumstances of the accused, which include no previous convictions, no pending cases and their family ties and alternative address plus strict conditions which include vacating the place under investigation, reporting at police station twice a week, no interference with witnesses or communications, surrendering passports and not visiting the Nkandla hostel and R10,000.00 bail it was decided not to oppose," said Lumka Mahanjana, the NPA spokesperson in Gauteng North region.
The two were arrested early this month for allegedly hijacking family units in the new residential block known as Nkandla at Mamelodi West hostel and illegally renting them out for R2,500 a month, leading to the City of Tshwane losing about R12m.
Two people living in the affected hostel expressed anger and disappointment after they learnt that the pair will now be back in the township.
"I'm very disappointed in our justice system that they decided to grant them bail like that and I feel that people's lives will be in danger," a woman hostel dweller said.
Another hostel resident said it now feels like they were "back to square one once again".
"Now it looks like police had not done their job by arresting them... soon the complainants will be victimised and we will see them withdrawing the charges," he said.
A Mamelodi tuck shop owner from Sudan told Sowetan that he had hoped that the arrests meant the end of the gang's activities.
Earlier this month, Sowetan reported how the group has been collecting money, including protection fees of R300 and upwards from foreign nationals who own tuck shops across the township since 2018. The amount paid depended on the size of the shop.
In their bail statements, Ntloko and Mabele have both indicated that they intend to plead not guilty to the charges they are facing, insisting that they have never allocated any of the units to anybody. The pair also claimed the monies they were collecting were for the purposes of a burial society, maintenance and security.
Their bail conditions included reporting at the Mamelodi West police station every Monday and Friday between 8am and 6pm, surrendering their passports and not to leave the Tshwane district area without permission of the investigating officer.
They were also forbidden from communicating with any of the complainants or any person residing at Nkandla hostel where they are also not allowed to enter or visit.
Ntloko and Mabele are among four people arrested in connection with the activities of the notorious Boko Haram in the township.
The other two alleged members, who are yet to be named until police conduct identity parades, are expected back in court in two weeks' time.
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