THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has successfully opposed the bail application of five accused extortionists, who allegedly targeted disabled home-owners in the Mthatha West informal settlements of Chris Hani Park in Mthatha.
Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Luxolo Tyali, said the case was remanded to September 13, 2024, for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decision, and more charges may be added.
The accused who are facing charges are Nkosiphendule Mseswa (55), Nomlandelo Pamla (44), Boyce Kani (67), Sthembiso Mbube (46), and Bongile Mnyanda (55), and were arrested on July 14, 2024.
Tyali confirmed that their alleged accomplice and Pamla were arrested two days later.
“They had gone to the homestead of one of the alleged victims, where they demanded keys after she failed to pay ‘rent’ for the house she had called home for more than 14 years. The five are facing four counts of attempted extortion, as three more disabled persons who reside at the Efata complex for the deaf and blind have lodged complaints against them, dating back to 2015,” said Tyali.
He added that it is alleged that Mseswa and Pamla are both headman and sub-headwoman of part of Chris Hani Informal respectively, which is not recognised by the Department of Co-operative Government and Traditional Affairs.
According to Tyali, Kani is also alleged to be their right-hand man who provided muscle in their alleged activities.
“They allegedly had been collecting money from the victims who had been residents at the complex that is owned by Imfesane Trust, which inherited the complex from the erstwhile Transkei Homeland. They had been demanding the rent from the homeowners under the guise that the land at which the settlement is situated had successfully been restituted to the Mthatha West community, which questionably settled there after 1994, long after the complex was built,” said Tyali.
According to him, arguing against their release on bail, Prosecutor Prince Nofemela stated that the complainants, all of whom are either blind or deaf, have been harassed by the five accused and their handlers, who are still at large, using threats, and their lives would be in danger if they are released on bail, and one of them had a pending case of murder against him.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, has committed to working together with the police to guide investigations to ensure that the kingpins of the extortion rackets in Mthatha West are brought to book.
Meanwhile, three more accused persons are to make their first appearance in Mthatha Magistrate’s Court today, on charges of kidnapping and extortion allegedly committed against a foreign national in Waterfall township, also in Mthatha.
