Abathembu King Steps In To Curb Extortion Threatening Mthatha Schools And Businesses

Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, is in the throes of a spreading extortion crisis that has forced at least one school and several local businesses to cease operations. Alarmingly, the syndicate behind the extortion has been linked to someone claiming to be a local chief, prompting the involvement of the area's traditional leader, King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo of the Abathembu.

The recent closure of Laphumikwezi Senior Primary School in Mthatha West after a confrontational demand for school funds by a group of individuals has highlighted an escalating trend of crime impacting education. Malibongwe Mtima, the spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Education, has reported multiple schools in Mthatha West have faced similar threats from armed extortionists. In a substantive move, the department has reached out to King Dalindyebo to assert his traditional authority and help restore safety and order, recognizing his potential to influence the outcome positively given the syndicate's operation on his ancestral territory.

King Dalindyebo convened a community meeting at the Laphumikwezi School compound aiming to rally the residents against the intimidation and illegal activities. With police maintaining a vigilant presence, he emphatically separated the Abathembu kingdom from the self-appointed "chief" and touched on the involvement of certain politicians, further complicating the situation.

Community representatives, while addressing the media, denied any forceful conduct and insisted on transparency regarding the school's financial dealings, specifically the income from a telecommunication tower on what they consider communal land.

Beyond educational institutions, the syndicate's shakedown operations have burdened businesses, some of which are owned by immigrants, leading to numerous closures as proprietors succumb to the fear of violence. A local proprietor of a bed-and-breakfast related her grueling experience of being forced to remunerate two criminal groups, even with some members incarcerated, stressing the ominous situation in which many find themselves trapped, with little hope for a turnaround.

This situation in Mthatha has not gone unnoticed by national and provincial law enforcement officials, including OR Tambo District Commissioner Brigadier Mzuvukile Ntandane and the National Commissioner of SAPS General Fannie Masemola, who have vowed to fight back against extortion activities and conduct investigations. After Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's visit, additional resources have been deployed by SAPS to the Eastern Cape to ramp up efforts against the extortionists, with several convictions already secured and ongoing cases across the country proving their commitment to thwarting these criminal syndicates.