DENNILTON – The brazen daylight murder of Limpopo businessman Ramapulane Seletisha (49) has exposed a ruthless extortion syndicate operating in the Sekhukhune region.
Seletisha, who held several government contracts and ran a funeral parlour, was ambushed and shot dead while driving on the Elandsdoorn road in June. His death, according to his brother, was the culmination of months of relentless threats and extortion demands from a syndicate that included a government employee.
Seletisha's brother, Thulane Nkosi, painted a harrowing picture of his brother's final days.
"He knew his days were numbered," Nkosi told City Press.
"He was constantly reminded by his tormentors and had told the family that he was going to be killed. He had accepted his fate because he knew that he was refusing to give in to ruthless criminals."
The threats, which began in October last year, escalated significantly in May when the syndicate demanded Seletisha relinquish his contracts or face death. He refused.
Seletisha's business empire was extensive. A company directorship search reveals his involvement in at least four companies and links to twelve others spanning construction, furniture, medical and hospital equipment supplies, consulting, accommodation, and tourism.
His company, Skhova Security Services, also held contracts with several private entities in the Sekhukhune area, further highlighting the syndicate's reach. His company, Leko and DD Holding, was sub-contracted to supply water to Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton, where one of the accused, Elvis Mahlangu, worked.
The extortion demands, initially met with payments, eventually escalated to a demand for Seletisha's entire stake in a provincial Department of Health contract. This proved to be his breaking point.
"He had been paying them, but it was not enough, and they wanted all his businesses for themselves or his life," Nkosi explained.
Seletisha, aware of the imminent danger, took precautions, changing vehicles and routines, and avoiding staying in one place for consecutive nights. His daughter even suggested bodyguards, a suggestion he rejected, preferring to confront his tormentors directly.
The final warning came on 26 May, and a week later, Seletisha was killed in a hail of bullets at approximately 10:30 am. The brazenness of the attack, occurring in broad daylight, underscores the syndicate's audacity and the climate of fear they fostered. A local councillor, who requested anonymity fearing reprisal, confirmed the syndicate's reputation for violence and their practice of demanding a cut from every government contract.
"They report to someone known as ‘The President’ in Pretoria. [The deceased] was ordered to remove his six trucks from the hospital water tender so that their trucks could take over the contract," the councillor revealed.
Two suspects have been apprehended. Tshepo Mahlangu handed himself over to the Groblersdal police station on September 3rd, accompanied by his lawyer. His co-accused, Elvis Mahlangu (aka Gundi), alleged to be the hitman, was arrested at his workplace, Philadelphia Hospital, on September 27th.
Both appeared in the Groblersdal Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for a bail application. Malesela Ledwaba, the presiding magistrate, confirmed the arrests and postponed the case to October 9th for further investigation. Police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, stated that a 30-year-old suspect, referring to Tshepo Mahlangu, "realised that the police were closing in on him for apprehension and subsequently handed himself" over.
The case highlights the escalating problem of 'protection fee' extortion in Limpopo and the urgent need for effective law enforcement strategies. Kholofelo Rakubu, associate professor in the Tshwane University of Technology’s department of law, safety and security management, highlighted the complexity of extortion and its links to other crimes.
"We are still scratching our heads," she said. "We do not have an understanding of the context in which extortion occurs. We have a one-size-fits-all understanding of extortion, stemming from phenomena, such as the construction mafia. In some cases, it has been formalised and not viewed as extortion."
Rakubu also pointed to the challenges in prevention and under-reporting due to fear and intimidation.
"Prevention is a difficult one because extortion is intertwined with other crimes such as robbery and assault, and, in most cases, extortion becomes a secondary crime. It can start as a robbery but, when the criminals realise there is more that they could get regularly, it becomes extortion."
She concluded by emphasising the crucial role of improved intelligence gathering in tackling this persistent problem.
"We are where we are today because of lack of intelligence; we have been found wanting," she added.
