What was supposed to be a fun day with friends turned into Sinovuyo Baliso’s worst nightmare when her 4-year-old daughter, Liyolatha, was caught in the crossfire as alleged extortion gangs exchanged gunfire in Phoenix, Milnerton.
Liyolatha was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound in her stomach, where she succumbed to her injuries a few days after the incident on August 24.
“It is still very sore and traumatic. As a family we are all still trying to process what happened. She was ripped from us in such a brutal manner.
“When it happened, Liyolatha was playing with her group of friends, they were about five, when we heard gunshots. She was shot. It hurts very much. I think I am still in denial about everything that happened. I have been offered trauma support and counselling and started with it this week,” said Baliso.
Describing her daughter, Baliso said Liyolatha was a vibrant child who was very active.
“She loved playing with her dog and especially loved outings. She was a happy girl who loved her toys, too. It is a struggle getting used to her now no longer being around. Everyone who loved her dearly is deeply affected by her being ripped away from us. We can feel the gap and it’s been very difficult,” said Baliso.
Liyolatha is to be buried in the Eastern Cape this weekend. The mother, who is unemployed, said financially it has been difficult to come up with the funds to ensure all costs are covered for her burial. The family have appealed to anyone willing to contribute towards the funeral costs to contact Baliso at 078 379 0731.
Councillor Anthony Benadie said the community has called on police to investigate these “barbaric crimes”.
The neighbouring Joe Slovo settlement, also in Milnerton, was the scene of a crime last Thursday after four men believed to be involved in extortion-related crimes were killed in a shoot-out with the police. Four accomplices in a Toyota Quantum were wounded and taken to a nearby hospital where they remain under police guard. Four firearms and rounds of ammunition were seized from their vehicle.
Benadie said: “Liyolatha was an innocent victim, shot in what we believed to have been an extortion-related crime. Extortion crimes in the area have gripped small businesses and informal traders. They are the vulnerable being attacked.”
“I feel sorry for these business owners who are targeted in such a manner because the criminals have no remorse and regard for life. The tragic killing of the little girl and the incident where police had shot and killed four men in the same area a few days ago is indicative of what we are struggling with,” said Benadie.
Police had not yet responded to questions regarding Liyolatha’s murder by time of publication.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu told MPs on Tuesday that they were hoping for crime intelligence’s increased capacity to help curb the spread of extortion-related crimes.
However, EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi lambasted him, saying there was no proper plan for how to deal with extortion cases, especially in construction.
Ndlozi said Mchunu simply repeated everything that his predecessor said in the past.
“You come here and tell us you are going to work with provinces and private security companies. All of those things you said have been done before.”
Institute for Security Studies crime expert Willem Els told The Star on Wednesday that police were unable to deal with the construction mafia and extortionists because they have been allowed to operate with impunity for a long time.
“The longer these groups are active, the stronger they become and the more they get protection from higher ranks. These syndicates have to corrupt state actors in order to protect them, so also the stronger they become, the more vulnerable the state becomes,” he added.
The odds were against police in that regard, Els said.
“It’s still early times, unfortunately, but we still have to wait and see because the proof is in the pudding. It seems like the new minister has some strategy in place that he wants to implement, he also made some right noises. Police will never be able to win against corruption if they don’t clean up their camp. They must start to demonstrate their competence.”
In Gauteng, three criminals were arrested in Bronkhorstspruit three weeks ago for extortion activities, while Soweto has also received police attention over extortion incidents.
In Mpumalanga, three arrests were recently made in cases of extortion and fighting over turf.
In the Free State, extortionists’ targets included pensioners and people who received Road Accident Fund (RAF) payouts.
Mchunu added that these acts required more crime intelligence operations.
DA police spokesperson Ian Cameron said extortion was a rapidly escalating threat that affected every layer of society, from large corporations to small township businesses, and even schools.
Cameron said this was a deeply rooted issue which jeopardised economic stability and tore at the country’s social fabric.
“Like an extortion racket, civilians are unfortunately sometimes held captive by the employment of rogue elements in our law enforcement agencies,” Cameron said.
“These isolated rogue elements unfortunately then cheapen the ranks of the thousands of professional dedicated cops that work so extremely hard. And even though they are in the minority, these bad actors impact not only upon their fellow officers but erode public trust in our law enforcement agencies.
“These incidents underscore the need to urgently address the misconduct within our own ranks before we can effectively and sustainably combat the existential extortion epidemic facing our country.”
The Star