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Gatvol residents kick MAMA JACKEY out

Sibongile Mashaba and Getrude Makhafola

Sibongile Mashaba and Getrude Makhafola

Mama Jackey's "joint" has been shut down - permanently.

After years of run-ins between the residents and Jackey Maarohanye the community finally had enough of the goings-on at Ithuteng Trust and ransacked the institution last December.

People we spoke to this week said they became sick and tired of Mama Jackey's "abusive and bullying" behaviour and had decided "to drive her out of the area".

Ithuteng Trust opened several years ago and operated from Soweto College before moving to the premises of Montshepetsa Bosego Primary School in Klipspruit.

But what triggered the last confrontation was an attack on an 18-year-old youth, Ranki Maseko, who was hacked with a panga wielded by one of Ithuteng Trust's pupils during a brawl in November last year.

Ranki Maseko could not finish writing his matric exams and is now repeating the year.

His family says he was lucky to have survived the vicious attack which saw the community finally stand up to the woman once dubbed the "Angel of Soweto".

Local residents protested at the school, demanding Maarohanye tell them "why dangerous weapons" were being kept in the school yard.

Heavily armed police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the angry crowd.

After the police left, residents went on the rampage, breaking all the windows of the school. One building was torched.

"We were angry and wanted Mama Jackey to apologise to the family of the injured boy," said a resident who asked not to be named.

"We waited for her for two days but she did not bother to come and meet us. We then stormed the school.

She said after the attack on Ranki, the youth in the area formed an organisation to protect themselves.

"We did not want her here any more. We had had enough of her abusive and bullying behaviour in our own backyard," said the woman.

Ranki's aunt, Maria Maseloane, spoke about the attack on her nephew.

"I was shocked to see him lying on the ground bleeding profusely. I thought he was dead.

"She [Jackey] made our lives hell. The worst thing was that she always had back-up from the Kliptown police. They would harass us under her instructions."

Another resident said: "She brought police to search my house. When I went to the police station to seek protection they told me to rather get a "peace" order.

"We are not safe and fear that she may come back for us."

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