Mamelodi Businessman and Brothers Killed Over Refusal to Pay Protection Fee
In a tragic incident, a well-known businessman from Mamelodi was fatally shot for refusing to pay a protection fee.
Kevin Shaba was attacked and killed by a hail of bullets at his home in Mamelodi West, Pretoria, on Thursday night.
Also Read: Tragedy Strikes: Twin Brothers Fatally Shot While Purchasing Alcohol in KZN
Protection Fee Dispute Claims Prominent Mamelodi Businessman
This devastating event occurred less than a year after his two brothers were killed, reportedly over the same issue. Kevin was murdered while he was at home, unloading his work equipment. The brothers, Ivan and Mandla, who co-owned the business with Kevin, were allegedly murdered in front of their elderly mother just last October. It’s reported that their mother suffered a stroke soon after witnessing this double tragedy.
The three brothers faced this horrific fate because they refused to pay a fee demanded by a notorious group known as Boko Haram. The group approached them in October last year, demanding money to allow their brick and plastering company to continue operating in the area. Kevin was a crucial witness in the investigation of his brothers’ murders.
Boko Haram’s Threat Looms: The Shaba Brothers’ Ordeal
According to an anonymous local businessman, the brothers had relocated from Mamelodi due to threats from Boko Haram. The group had warned them to cease operations or make way for businesses willing to pay the protection fee. Despite the threats, the brothers persisted, and tragically, they were killed for their refusal to comply.
“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.
What makes this situation even more heartbreaking is that the brothers’ mother, who witnessed her sons’ assassination, passed away in June of this year. She had been in poor health since the traumatic incident occurred last October.