Limpopo’s ‘Boko Haram’ gang sentenced after reign of terror

Jubilation was the order of the day at the Dan Village and Nkowankowa Township in Limpopo after a dangerous group calling themselves Boko Haram, which killed a number of people over the past 10 years, was put behind bars by the Polokwane High Court.

The armed group named themselves after the notorious terrorist group that has been responsible for numerous atrocities in West Africa.

The local band was formed in 2012 by a group of young men from around Nkowankowa and Dan Village and was known for kidnapping and raping girls, as well as murders and robberies.

They usually waited for people coming from drinking holes or work and attacked them.

On Monday the court ended their reign of terror.

Sipho Shabangu, 23, was sentenced to an effective 10 years’ imprisonment for killing Joel Nkgapele by hacking him to death with an axe in February 2017.

The other 12 were each sentenced to an effective six years for violations of the Riotous Assemblies Act.

Three people to whom The Citizen spoke at the village said the community was breathing a sigh of relief since the sentence.