Seshego learner fears harrassment from gang leader
The mother of a 17-year-old boy, who has missed almost two weeks of school says her son lives in fear of the Burial 13 gang leader who forced him to join the gang.
POLOWKANE – The mother of a Seshego teen says her son only spoke out about his recruitment to the Burial 13 gang after coming home with a broken nose and bloody clothes during the first week of school in January.
“From what he told us, he was not given a choice in joining the gang and kept it a secret because he knew we wouldn’t approve.
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After he was forced in, he was told to recruit a certain number of learners and commit crimes such as shoplifting and pick-pocketing. When he brought no new recruits, he was beaten up,” she tells BONUS.
The woman says her son is afraid of the gang leader and lives in constant fear of being harrassed or beaten up.
“We immediately opened a case with the police and I received a call from the investigating officer who promised to visit me for more information but he never pitched. When I went to the station, I was told he was on leave and the case would have to wait for his return.”
Since then, the woman says two more children have been harassed by the said leader and the community attempted to locate him to make a citizen’s arrest.
“A week after the incident with my son the community recognised him and caught him but he escaped while we waited for the police. Since then, the leader has been targeting all the people who were there and is threatening to kill them.”
Vincent Kunutu, the chairperson of the Seshego Community Against Drugs and Gangsterism says when they were notified about the resurfacing of the Burial 13 gang, they visited the community in an attempt to find the new leader.
“The gang was previously dissolved after its leaders were arrested on various cases, including murder. We have not heard anything from them in almost a year and we are working hard to make sure this gang is destroyed even before their activities resurface.”
Kuntu says they were part of an operation with the Seshego police last Friday after receiving a tip-off from the community about the man’s whereabouts but a sting operation was interrupted by load-shedding.
“The tavern went into darkness and we suspected the man was armed and had to retreat.”
Kunutu says the association will keep its eyes and ears on the ground and relies on information sent in by the public on the man’s whereabouts as he is ‘always on the move’.
Police confirmed a case has been opened. No arrests have been made.
