Aron Hyman Profile picture
Idolize no man. Senior Analyst @ Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime Ex multi-award-winning journalist.

Dec 10, 2020, 18 tweets

THREAD: The following tweets are for the purposes of stories that will appear in Sunday Times Daily. The videos and images depicted may be upsetting but are deemed to be in the public interest. This is the story of the Ayanda "Borhey" Mtila as far as we were able to verify it.

On 13 October Mtila as defacto overlord of the Boko Harram gang, allegedly carried out his penultimate cash-in-transit robbery. Sources say he sustained a head wound in a shootout with security guards. Some friends believe he was killed by a fellow robber.
iol.co.za/capeargus/news…

He died two days later, on 15 October, after allegedly being in a coma for more than a day. His funeral was a spectacle, held on Nyanga Sports fields on 24 October and attended by hundreds of people. Sources say it was made possible by Paarl businessman Lukhanyo "Spur" Mangena.

Here is his ornate casket brought to the funeral service in a luxury limousine SUV, immortalising him in the eyes of the community in the style and pomp of other fallen gangsters such as Rashied Staggie.

Mangena, also known as Malambane, is also the owner of Batallion Football Club in Paarl and owns several businesses. WhatsApp messages sent to Mangena and phone calls went unanswered. He is depicted in pics and vids on his social media pages with, now deceased, Boko Haram members

After the funeral Boko Haram gang members celebrated by firing off their pistols into the air in the densely populated Nyanga. One of them, a woman known by the moniker Gallinah, almost fires a round into a crowd. More on Gallinah later.

Community members we spoke to for our articles are justifiably scared to speak, gangsters display behaviour like this in broad daylight and with impunity. It is also important to note that people like Mtila and Mangena are alleged to count politicians as their friends.

In the afternoon of 2 November gunmen stormed Boko Haram HQ in Gugulethu NY78 killing 8 people. Among the deceased were Bongiwe Peter, Lumka Hlotywa, Dumisani Andile Nongwanana, Khosi Yawa, Zama Mabusela & Thobekile Yawa. Other names could not be verified by ST Daily.

Only Gallinah and one other person are believed to have survived the attack. The rest of the Boko Haram gang are reportedly either awaiting trial or in hiding. However, a few days after the Gugs shooting several suspects were arrested on their way to a funeral in the Eastern Cape

Detectives were trying to link the suspects to the NY78 murders. The suspects were connected to multiple murders, including 2 murders in Philippi East in June, 2 more in July, 3 murders in Gugs NY108 in June, 5 murders in Philippi East, Block 4, Lower Cross Roads in June.

Unverified videos were sent to us by police sources depicting suspects believed to have been connected to the series of events. Sources said the people depicted in these videos were people of interest. If you are able to help identifying these people, please DM me.

One of the people in this video is depicted dancing with a firearm in another video. A police source alleged that this person is a police officer from Kleinvlei SAPS, although this could not be independently verified.

Sources alleged that Mtila, wielding overwhelming influence as a township extortion boss, maintained peace between the Gupta gang from Lower Cross Roads and the Boko Haram gang. After his death however, the power balance was tipped, and the Guptas seized control through force.

Khayelitsha and Gugs residents reached out to us after our last thread saying that they lived in fear as gangsters roamed the streets with impunity. A video, posted on another FB page, depicts young men brandishing firearms in a car. If you have more information on this, DM.

I will add to this thread as needed.

SAPS spokesman Col Andrè Traut said the above video was being investigated. He also said that Gallinah was interviewed and not regarded as a person of interest in the Gugs shootings after a social media post circulated that she was wanted by police.

After the Gugs massacre on 21 November Mangena posted a video of some of the deceased Boko Haram members dancing. The caption read: "Rest In Peace my Nigger Ranjo and I’ll make sure they’ll pay for my lost"

Thanks to all of you who are responding to this thread. The information we are receiving through direct messages is greatly appreciated and it helps us to do more of this sort of work.

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