A notorious Cape Town gang shot dead a 64-year-old street vendor after she had failed to pay them a protection fee.
The gogo was popular in Cape Town for cooking and selling food on the side of the road, Daily Sun reported. She sold umnqambulo (cow head meat), amathumbu (intestines) and penzi (offal).
64-Year-Old Cape Town Street Vendor Shot Dead For Refusing To Pay Protection Fee
South African Police Service provincial spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi confirmed the hit:
“Circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation. According to reports, police members responded to a complaint of a shooting, and upon arrival on the scene, they found the victim with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
“She was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel. The motive for the attack forms part of the investigation. The suspect(s) fled the scene and are yet to be arrested. A murder case was registered for investigation.”
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What Led To Gogo’s Callous Murder?
A 47-year-old resident said in the days before the murder, the gogo and other vendors in the area experienced harassment from a gang demanding protection fees.
She said:
“These boys are demanding protection fee from everyone. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling. I used to be a vendor in our area, but I stopped. I had to move and operate from somewhere else. I suspect makhulu was murdered because she had not paid them.”
She mentioned that she had a good relationship with the other vendors in the area, including the gogo, who allegedly once confided in her that vendors were being forced to pay protection fees to two different gangs. The woman, who formerly sold fruits in Kraaifontein, added that gangs would make vendors pay a R500 protection fee every month.
“The challenge is that you sometimes pay them, and another gang demands money the following day. People sometimes paid twice. We don’t get much money on the streets and the protection fee issue has made the lives of vendors difficult. I decided to leave and now sell in the train.”