“White gang hits Soweto”
Everywhere we drove around “the streets of Soweto” (thx Lauryn Hill) yesterday we were confronted with newspaper headlines “WHITE GANG HITS SOWETO”– living in such interesting times in SA, we just had to find out what this story was all about. Published by the SOWETAN newspaper, which has an AWESOME new website with all the tricks and toys that you must visit, it turns out that it’s a MIXED gang of three ‘mlungus’ led by a Black guy who pose as cops and hit on tavern owners. We’re not sure how the gang leader got forgotten in the tabloid headlines but they certainly worked and had us looking for the story. Here’s an intro to the article written by Simon Nare and you can read the rest here if you’re really interested.
Black-led mlungu gang hits Soweto shebeens
A gang of armed whites, led by a black man, is terrorising Soweto.
The gang’s main target is said to be taverners and motorists.
One of the victims, shebeen queen Matlala Mabalane, says she suspects the gang might have connections in the police force. She said that they impersonate police officers.
“The gang leader boasts that he will never go to jail because he has connections,” said Mabalane.
The gang leader was apparently arrested late last year but was mysteriously released .
Police spokesman Lindiwe Mbatha said a senior police official has promised her the docket would be available today.
Shebeen queen Mabalane said: “The black guy came here as a patron for three weeks. He would plead with me to drink inside the house saying because he was a police officer he didn’t want to drink with members of the public. I refused,” she said.
