Mamelodi Businessman Fatally Shot for Defying Protection Fee Demand
In a sombre development, a prominent businessman from Mamelodi was shot and killed for refusing to pay a protection fee.
Kevin Shaba lost his life when he was gunned down at his home in Mamelodi West, Pretoria, on Thursday night.
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Familial Loss: Shaba Brothers’ Legacy Marred by Violence
This horrifying event occurred less than a year after his two brothers were killed under similar circumstances. Ivan and Mandla, with whom Kevin co-owned a brick and plastering company, were allegedly murdered in October the previous year because they refused to pay a protection fee demanded by a notorious group known as Boko Haram. Kevin’s brothers were shot in front of their elderly mother, who tragically suffered a stroke shortly after witnessing the double tragedy.
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Persistent Threats: Mamelodi Businessman Shot Over Protection Fee Dispute
The dreadful situation unfolded when Boko Haram approached the Shaba brothers, demanding money to allow them to continue operating their business in the area. Refusing to comply, the brothers became targets. Kevin, who witnessed his brothers’ murder, was also slain while he was dropping off his work machines at his home.
A reliable source, requesting anonymity, disclosed that the brothers had relocated from Mamelodi due to threats from Boko Haram. The group had warned them to cease their operations or be replaced by a business willing to pay the protection fee. Despite the threats, the Shaba brothers persisted, and tragically, this defiance led to their untimely deaths.
“They were warned to stop operating in the area or to make way for someone who was willing to pay. They persisted and they were killed. This is so scary and no one is doing anything about it. They tell you that it’s either you pay the fee, quit or they kill you,” the source disclosed.
The source further revealed the immense pain endured by the Shaba family, particularly their mother, who passed away in June.
“Kevin’s mother passed away in June after she fell ill last year October when the gang killed her sons in front of her. She suffered when she saw her two sons assassinated in front of her. That trauma did not go away,” the source added.
