Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Vigilantism or alternative citizenship? The rise of Mapogo a Mathamaga

2004; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 63; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00020180412331318751

1469-2872

Barbara Oomen,

African studies and sociopolitical issues

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes The name is derived from the Sepedi expression " Ge ole nkwe, nna ke lepogo ka moka re mathamaga": If you are a leopard, I am a tiger. We are all equal in strength. Amuphadi 1997. See Sowetan, 27 November 1996 "Businessmen 'assault' 20 burglars" by K. Mamaila, pp 4; Sowetan 26 August 1997 "Vigilante group changes its name — Mapogo a Mathamaga now calls itself a community shield" by K. Mamaila, pp4; Northern Province Times 29 November 1996 "Vigilantes — police warn that they 'cannot be a law unto themselves" pp 1; Herald 29 August 1997 "Businessmen establish anti‐crime organisation in the North" pp 3; Montana 1999 Montana C 1999 "Day of the Leopard" Focus 15 http://www.hsf.org.za/focus_15/f15_Day_of_the_leopard.html [Google Scholar]. Exceptions to this lack of attention are Minnaar 2001; NRC Handelsblad 18 September 1999 "De Wet van de Bullepees" by Oomen and De Bruyne, pp 6; Sekhonyane 2002 Sekhonyane M Louw A 2002 "Case Study of Mapogo‐A‐Mathamaga" Violent Justice, Vigilantism and the State's Response Johannesburg: ISS, http://www.iss.co.za/PUBS/MONOGRAPHS/No72/Chap3.html [Google Scholar]; Von Schnitzler et al. 2001 Von Schnitzler A Ditlhage G Kgalema L Maepa T Mofokeng T Pigou P 2001 Guardian or Gangster? Mapogo a Mathamaga: A Case Study Johannesburg: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation [Google Scholar]. Having visited Sekhukhune numerous times before 1998, I lived in the area from October 1998 until November 1999 to conduct PhD research on the position of traditional leadership and customary law in the area. (Oomen 2004 — 2004 forthcoming Chiefs in South Africa: Law, Power and Culture in the Post‐Apartheid Era Oxford: James Currey [Google Scholar]) 'Bapedi' is the self‐referential term for the people who live in Bopedi, which corresponds roughly with the former homeland of Lebowa in what is presently called Limpopo and was at the time the Northern Province. 30 September 1999, Ngwaabe Mapogo Mass Meeting. Interview J. Magolego, 8 December 1998. Mapogo Memorandum to the MEC of Safety and Security, 26 September 1996, on file at the Provincial Department of Safety and Security, Pietersburg. Northern Province Times November 1996 "Police warn against Pagad‐style organisations" pp 15. Internal Memorandum, Provincial Department of Safety and Security, August 1997. Business Day 10 October 1998 "Provinces adopt conflicting stances on Mapogo vigilantes" Sunday Times 2 August 1998 "When fighting crime depends on a vigilante" by C. Barron; Montana 1999 Montana C 1999 "Day of the Leopard" Focus 15 http://www.hsf.org.za/focus_15/f15_Day_of_the_leopard.html [Google Scholar], p. 6. Rates 2003. These are practically the same as they were in 1996, although they have been standardi s ed since then. Electronic Mail & Guardian 1 May 2000 "Vigilante group faces split" by E. Wa ka Ngobeni,. http://www.mg.co.za/mg/news/2000may1/9may‐vigilante.html Sekhonyane, Case Study, argues that it is difficult to make a causal link between the decrease in crime and vigilantist activity. Respondents in the majority of the interviews held in 1998 and 1999 as well as (confidential) records at the Provincial Department of Safety and Security do note a relationship between the rise of Mapogo and the decrease of criminal activity in Sekhukhune. Saturday Star 2 May 1998 "Lashing out at crime", pp 6. Sunday Times 2 August 1998 "When fighting crime depends on a vigilante" by C. Barron, p. 6. Northern Province Times November 1996 "Police warn against Pagad‐style organisations" pp 15. N=547.of which 52 per cent female, 48 per cent; 5 per cent under 20, 28 per cent 20–30, 22 per cent 30–40, 19 per cent 40–50, 14 per cent 50–60 and 12 per cent 60 +; 20% no education, 21 per cent up to standard 6, 42 per cent standard 6–10, 7 per cent matric, 7 per cent technicon, 3 per cent university; only 27 per cent formally employed; This is more or less representative of the Sekhukhune adult population as a whole. The interviews were conducted by Tsepo Phasha, Patson Phala and myself or by two of us, usually in Sepedi, in personal, face‐to‐face interviews based on a Sepedi questionnaire with 45 closed and open questions, which would typically take 1 to 2 hours and have been translated to English by the interviewers. The data used derive from uni‐, bi‐ and multivariate analysis in SPSS. Northern Province Times 29 August 1997 "President of Mapogo denies rumours about murders" by R. Phala, pp 9. Electronic Mail & Guardian 29 May 2000 "Rough justice", by D. Aitkenhead. http://www.mg.co.za/mg/news/2000may2/29may‐vigilante.html South African Press Association Financial Times 5 June 2003 "Mapogo owes its existence to govt: TAU". Information/Global Newswire. The Constitution Act 108/1996 has a provision granting communities the right to enjoy their culture, and two sections recogni s ing the "status, institution and role of traditional leadership". Interview, 8 December 1998. Proclamation 110 of 1957, Regulations prescribing the duties, powers, privileges and conditions of service of chiefs and headmen (as amended, for the Northern Province) Electronic Mail & Guardian 29 May 2000 "Rough justice", by D. Aitkenhead, http://www.mg.co.za/mg/news/2000may2/29may‐vigilante.html Business Day 10 October 1998 "Provinces adopt conflicting stances on Mapogo vigilantes". Interview S. Nthai, 14 January 1999. Financial Mail 9 April 2004 "Embattled Mapogo moves into the mainstream" by P. Honey, pp 26. Financial Mail 9 April 2004 "Embattled Mapogo moves into the mainstream" by P. Honey, pp 26. Electronic Mail & Guardian 1 May 2000 "Vigilante group faces split" by E. Wa ka Ngobeni, http://www.mg.co.za/mg/news/2000may1/9may‐vigilante.html This account was reconstructed from reports at the Ministry of Safety and Security (from which the quotes are taken) and discussions with Mphanama residents a year after these events. Interview N. Ramathlodi, Moria, 4 April 1999.