The protection-fee threats a man allegedly made against a Gugulethu family whose son is undergoing the Xhosa manhood ritual are not part of a wider extortion racket targeting initiates and their families, says an initiation organisation.
Sikelela Zokufa, the founder of the Somagwaza Institute, was responding to a report that a man allegedly threatened to kill a 55-year-old Gugulethu woman, her husband and the couple’s son, who is at the Stock Road initiation site, if they failed to pay up.
Police say they are investigating after the man allegedly approached the woman at her home at about 4pm on Monday November 25, demanding R700 as a protection fee for her son. When the man was only given R140, he allegedly threatened to shoot the couple and their son if they did not pay the rest.
Mr Zokufa downplayed suggestions that extortion gangs were targeting the initiation practice, saying the man was a drug addict taking a chance.
Initiation sites were protected by security guards, and the police also checked on them, he said.
Mr Zokufa said the institute was working with police to find the man.
“It is shocking that someone calling himself a man would decide to go and extort money from the families.”
He said the institute had learnt that the man was a drug addict living in NY50 and targeting families with sons undergoing initiation.
“He wants money for a fix. He visits the homes having children in initiation school and lies about shooting them if they don’t pay him money. However, we are still looking for him.”
He assured families that their sons were safe, and he advised parents of the initiates not to pay anyone demanding protection fees and to report such cases to the police.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said Gugulethu police were investigating.
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