Evidence wa ka Ngobeni
South Africa’s largest vigilante group, Mapogo a Matamaga, is spreading its influence in and around suburbs of Pretoria and Johannesburg. Last year the group, which has become infamous for its sjambokking and brutal assaults of alleged criminals, formed branches in Alberton, Springs, Vereeniging, Hammanskraal, Centurion and Pretoria.
Leaders of Mapogo claim that no fewer than 10 000 members have already signed up with branches around Gauteng – in addition to the 40 000 members the group claims to have had in its traditional stronghold of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga.
Mapogo president Monhle Magolego says his group has also been called to form branches on the East Rand, but Mapogo will take its time before expanding further.
He says he is not surprised at his organisation’s popularity in Gauteng. “Naturally, as crime is escalating in all places, almost everyone wants to join Mapogo. They feel protected by us because of our approach to crime.
“The main thing that attracts members to join my organisation is that we know how to deal with criminals. We believe in corporal punishment and that really works.”
They say their investigations are effective because they work with the community: they get tip-offs from community members, then “arrest” the alleged criminal.
Magolego says it is rare for a day to go by without one of Gauteng’s branches “arresting” suspected criminals or recovering stolen goods.
Before handing them over to the police, members mete out their own brand of “medicine” to the suspects to “cure them from their bad ways”.
Mapogo’s “method”has got many of its members in trouble. More than 20 members of Mapogo, including Magolego himself, have been charged with attempted murder; there are also members who have been charged with murder. The cases are still pending; there have been no convictions yet.
Mapogo – which also has an English name, Business Shield – was formed in 1996 by businessmen in the central region of the Northern Province, after the murder of six local businessmen and a spate of burglaries.
Mapogo’s popularity in Gauteng was in evidence this Monday, when the Mail & Guardian visited its Pretoria office. The telephone rang continually as Mapogo members reported crimes committed over the weekend. The Mapogo staffers in charge of the office, decorated with headlines such as “Mapogo hit town” and “Sjambok-man Magolego deserves an award”, wrote down the complaints and referred them to “footsoldiers” or “investigators”.
Mapogo officials said the Pretoria office serves as the group’s Gauteng headquarters, linking branches operating in the province. Sometimes “foot soldiers or investigators” from other branches are asked to help another branch in need of a back-up.
One of the complaints reported on Monday involved two men, apparently drunk, who had allegedly assaulted their father. Mapogo staffers on duty said the “boys will definitely receive some Mapogo medicine”. After the “medicine”, staffer said, the two men would never repeat their deeds.
Most people who visited the Pretoria office on Monday expressed their loss of faith in the police. An elder from Tembisa, whose car was stolen, asked Mapogo to help him find his bakkie. He said the police in Tembisa had failed to find it. “They keep telling me that they are following up the case but there is no progress,” he said.
But, unfortunately, the elder was not a member of Mapogo. “You must first register with us so that we can help you,” said a Mapogo staffer. She explained to the elder that cases that occurred before his membership would not be investigated by the group.
But she assured him that if he filled in application forms on Monday, future complaints brought by him or his family would be “properly investigated”.
Another elder was told that the Mapogo do not “deal with love affairs”. “We do not want to take the work of social workers,” a staffer said. But like many other people who often visit Mapogo, the elder filled in application forms, in case his wife’s “secret lover” assaults him. He paid a membership fee of R165 and bought a Mapogo sticker.
Members are encouraged to buy Mapogo signs (R50 each) and stickers (R20), all of which are adorned with the head of a tiger. After signing up they are given the cellphone numbers of branch heads, whom they can dial up when they have a problem. However, the Pretoria office also handles complaints as well. One of the Pretoria staffers has a pistol.
The foot soldiers, who are armed, are always on standby to respond to cases reported by registered members. After the case has been reported they go to the scene and investigate until a suspected criminal is found.
“If the suspect hides information and there is strong evidence against him, a bit of sjambokking will be done to dig out the truth,” says Magolego.
Registered members are not obliged to whip suspects. About 1 000 farmers in Pretoria are believed to belong to Mapogo, while several big businesses are members too. Businesses can be charged up to R10 000 a year.