Ladgac co-founder’s home in Seshego targeted in suspected arson
The Seshego home of Ladgac co-founder Molebogeng Rachidi was targeted in a suspected arson attack she believes is linked to her anti-drug work.
POLOKWANE – A suspected arson attack on the Seshego family home of Ladgac co-founder Molebogeng Rachidi could have killed seven people, including visitors, if the fire had spread beyond a bakkie parked in the garage.
The early morning blaze on June 28 gutted the bakkie belonging to the co-owner of Limpopo Anti-Drug, Gangsterism and Crime (Ladgac).
On the same day, the organisation’s signboard on the Ladanna road into Seshego near a fuel station was also found burnt, pointing to what she says is a targeted attack aimed at her destruction.
Rachidi believes both incidents were deliberate and linked.
“Luckily, my mother was already up waiting to open for my son who was not at home. When she heard noises she went to open and found the vehicle on fire. It only affected part of the garage,” Rachidi told Review Online.
Two cases opened
Police confirmed two cases were opened, one at Seshego for malicious damage to property at the home, and another at Westenburg for damage to the signboard.
The dockets have since been transferred to the Limpopo provincial office for further investigation.
Rachidi said the attack has left her family traumatised and fearing for their lives. But she believes the motive goes deeper than intimidation.
“People just do not believe that a woman can rehabilitate those captured by drugs successfully and that it is a man’s world. I believe that is where the clear threats and damage are coming from,” she said.
She added that while she can handle the pressure of working in a male-dominated space, the impact on her loved ones has been severe.
Ladgac’s work
Ladgac rose to prominence for documenting the recovery journeys of drug users on social media, from rehabilitation to skills training and reintegration into society.
Rachidi works largely behind the scenes with a team that includes anti-drug activist Philly Moloto, who has been featured in anti-drug campaigns, including the popular on-screen soapy, Skeem Saam.
The organisation has become one of Limpopo’s most visible voices against drugs and gangsterism, often putting its founders at odds with drug networks.
The work continues
Weeks after the attack, Rachidi says the fear remains, but so does the work.
