Local business forum leader gunned down, community is furious

Angry residents of Katlehong are up in arms following the murder of a local business forum leader Leso Vincent Maseko who was involved in mediating peace in the recent violent flare-up between local communities and Indo/Pak, Somalis, Ethiopians, and Bangladeshi tuck shop operators in the townships.

December 17, 2019

Zaid Khumalo 2 minutes read

A scene from an earlier violent protest incident in which community members blocked roads and burnt tyres in anger.

According to a female member of the local community who broke the news to Kathorus MAIL, Maseko was gunned down on the night of December 12 during an alleged “mafia-style” hit inside his spaza shop in Maphanga Section, Katlehong.

Upon hearing of Maseko’s death, angry residents attacked local spaza shops owned by Indo/Pak and other non-South African nationals around Maphanga Section. Numerous spaza shops were vandalised, burnt and looted.

The police managed to arrive on scene on time to quell the violence.

Some residents linked Maseko’s murder to the tensions between foreign business owners and some local business owners. The tensions were fuelled by rumours circulating around Katlehong that some Indo/Pak spaza owners had sought the help of a private security provider linked to the taxi feuds in Gauteng to protect their business against protesting locals around the township.

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Known for the violent means in which the private security deals with criminals, concerned members of the community are said to have reported the matter at the ANC’s headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg. “The leadership of the community took the matter to Luthuli House for a directive,” said a member of the local business community who refused to be identified.

A senior ANC official confirmed that a report had been received from the small business community in Katlehong about serious threats of gang violence, but refused to elaborate or identify herself.

Members of the local business forum that Maseko was a leader of, spoke to Kathorus MAIL on condition of anonymity. They refused to be identified and said they feared they were now targets of the same security gang they believe was responsible for Maseko’s death. “We suspect our names are now on their death list,” said one of the members.

George Ratswana, the chairperson of Nafcoc for the Ekurhuleni region and one of the leading facilitators in trying to resolve the issue between local small businesses and their non-South African counterparts and uniting the two warring factions under the banner of the Africa Diaspora Forum, told Kathorus MAIL that the entry of ‘hit squad-type killings’ in the spaza shop industry has changed the face of the business, which has become very dangerous.

“This is now beyond us as a regional business body,” said Ratswana. He added that he believes the matter needs to be dealt with by authorities above Nafcoc for intervention.

According to local residents, this is not the first time Maseko was attacked inside his spaza shop. “Several months ago, he was attacked by unknown gunmen inside his shop, but he managed to escape injury and the gunmen fled. This time, they made sure they left him dead,” added a female resident who also preferred to remain anonymous.

Asked about the rumours of a ‘hit squad’ fanning the discord between the two warring small business factions, Ratswana replied that it was difficult for him to comment on the matter “All I can say is that it what has happened in Maphanga Section was regrettable. It will have a huge drawback to the progress already established by the task team under the Africa Diaspora Forum,” explained Ratswana.

At the time of going to print, the Vosloorus SAPS had not commented on the issue.