Three set Mbetse’s cars alight
Local journalist and community activist, Edmond Mbetse, is left homeless and without a car after his two cars and house was set alight by three men.
The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday, December 2, at his home in Namakgale during the 03:00 load-shedding period. According to Mbetse, he was sleeping when gunshots outside his house woke him. He looked through his bedroom window and saw three men, all with guns, dressed in long jackets. “They had already started to set my cars alight and when they saw me through the curtain, they shot at me. I tried to hide inside the house,” Mbetse told the Herald.
“They proceeded also to set the house alight and then fled.” A case of malicious property damage was opened at the Namakgale Police Station, but according to Mbetse, the case is now being investigated by the Hawks. He told the Herald that he believes that the fire is due to threats from foreign national spaza shop owners as he has been vocal about warning locals from buying from these shops. “A few weeks ago, the Mopani District Municipality conducted a food inspection blitz at spaza shops inspecting the quality of food and other items.
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During the operation, expired items were found, and I reported on the matter warning people about this. “I also held a community meeting with other stakeholders about this concerning issue and during the meeting, which was held at Namakgale Cinema, a group of about 60 men from Humulani village disrupted the meeting,” Mbetse says. “They broke beer bottles and one man, as I exited the venue, told me that I’m not the president of the country, I must leave foreigners alone and then he slapped me in the face.”
Mbetse says word on the street is that the leader of the men who disrupted the meeting went around Phalaborwa collecting protection money of R1000 from the foreign shops amounting to R350 000. “I’m convinced the incident is to silence me, but I won’t stop, I will continue to warn our people about foreign owned spaza shops. “We are also in the process of planning a march against these shops and soon will head to the streets,” he adds. The local leader is now forced to stay with relatives. Anyone willing to assist Mbetse can contact him at 072 424 5732.
