MAKONDE – He is not a police officer, but he is the top crime buster in the Thohoyandou area. He has personally held countless dangerous criminals and handed them over to the police. He has recovered several illegal guns and ammunition, captured those who escaped from police cells, arrested fleeing rapists and uncovered countless criminal activities. He is tough towards criminals and community members now regard him as their hero who has been playing an important role in the protection of their lives.

This is an inspiring story of an ordinary community member, Boshotho Ravhura (36), who has dedicated his life to the war against crime, although he is not a member of the South African Police Services (SAPS).

He remembers some of the incidents that won him affection from fellow community members: “There was an incident in which a police officer was robbed of his pistol with 16 bullets by criminals. I investigated the case on my own and I hunted the suspects until I arrested them and handed them over to the police. I went to the chief suspect’s house in the night and found him asleep. At first, he refused to admit that he had stolen the gun, but I searched his house until I found it. There was only one bullet left. I do my criminal busting alone because I have confidence and I also believe in myself,” says Boshotho, a bricklayer who stays at Makonde village, north of Thohoyandou.

Last year, a rape suspect escaped from Tshamutumbu holding cells and police hunted him without success.

“I heard that the suspect was hiding somewhere in the bush and I took my five dogs to track him down. After a long search, I managed to locate him, but he tried to run away. My dogs ran after him and he threw himself into a stream. I went into the water and took him out. I later handed him over to the cops to face his charges of rape and escaping from custody.

“There were about 20 illegal immigrants who were living in thick bushes and people were afraid to approach them. They were linked to several criminal offences in the village and I went with my dogs to chase them out.”

Earlier this year, Boshotho heard that there was a group of young men who were terrorizing community members with knives at a local tavern. “I went to the tavern one night without carrying anything. They know my hard stance against crime and I personally searched each of them and took out 15 knives from their pockets. I destroyed their knives with fire and told them not to do crime again.”

His latest campaign against crime was when he arrested a villager who was accused of selling the poisonous insecticide, Temik, to the villagers. “I heard the Temik was sold for R20 a teaspoon and there were allegations that people were dying of food poisoning. I went straight to the suspect in the night and took him to my house where he spent the whole night. He never tried to run away because he knows I’m tough towards criminals. I took him to the headman’s palace the following day and he was handed over to the police.”

Asked how he gets the courage to be a top crime buster without getting paid, Boshotho said: “It is not about money, but it is about the zeal to maintain peace and stability in the country. This country must be crime free and conducive for life. We can easily win this war against crime if we come together and sing the same tune for the improvement of life in this country.”

Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi of the Vhembe Police said he was proud of Boshotho’s exclusive involvement in the fight against crime. “We need men like Boshotho because he is doing a great job in the war against crime. We will invite this man to our offices to discuss how we can assist him so that he may carry on with his job effectively. We urge other community members to follow suit because Boshotho has paved the way in the fight against crime.”