Village tormentor arrested

LIMPOPO – THE trouble-torn community of Ga-Ramongoana in the Moletjie area can momentarily breathe a sigh of relief following the arrest of the alleged village bully who has reportedly been holding local residents to ransom.

The arrest of double-murder accused William ‘Mboma’ Mabeba (33) a fortnight ago was welcomed by community members who said they hoped he would “rot in jail”.

Following his arrest, Mabeba made his first court appearance in the Seshego magistrate’s court last week Tuesday and he is expected to make his formal bail application later this week.

Mabeba was arrested in Germiston in Gauteng’s Ekurhuleni alongside Alpheus Kwenaite, a fugitive from Blood River village outside Seshego.

Kwenaite had been on the run from the police for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Mabeba is facing two counts of murder after he allegedly stabbed and killed Christopher Mmakoena Boshomane (29) and another unknown man.

Mabeba allegedly killed Boshomane on April 26 in Ga-Ramongoana village and allegedly went on to murder an unidentified man in Ladanna.

Mabeba fled to Gauteng were he hid himself along with other wanted criminals, including Kwenaite.

According to Seshego police spokesperson, WO Mothemane Malefo, Mabeba was an infamous tormentor of the community who had been on the wrong side of the law on numerous occasions.

“We received several complaints from residents of Ga-Ramongoana who complained that Mabeba had been harassing them. When these murders were comitted, we vowed to put an end to his reign of terror. Realising that we were after him, he then ran away to Gauteng. However, we received a tip-off relating to his whereabouts and without any hesitation a team was dispatched to Gauteng where he was captured together with another fugitive, (Alpheus) Kwenaite,” Malefo said.

Malefo’s claims that Mabeba was a tormentor were confirmed by terrified community members in his home village. The frightened villagers stressed that the murder suspect was an aggressive warmonger who assaulted people at the slightest provocation.

Following news of his arrest, some residents in his neighbourhood said they hoped he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

A teenager, who spoke on the basis of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said: “Mboma is a ruthless guy who has no place in a peaceful society. He is a bully who caused trouble to people at taverns.

“He had a tendency to take and drink other people’s beers and cigarettes and when they protested he would beat them to a pulp.”