Yanga ‘Bara’ Nyalara, an alleged extortionist and gang leader from Khayelitsha, was released from custody on Monday, 25 November, after robbery charges against him were withdrawn in the Cape Town Regional Court.
Nyalara had been in custody for two years, but the case collapsed after two key witnesses refused to testify, citing fears for their safety, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Also read: Data shows Western Cape as having the most extortion cases in SA
Background on the robbery case
The charges stemmed from a 2016 robbery at an MTN store in Cape Town’s St George’s Mall. According to News24, Nyalara was accused of being part of a gang that held up employees and customers during the heist.
The State alleged that Nyalara, armed with a firearm, stole a cellphone worth R2 300, R1 000 in cash and an MTN jacket. While his co-accused, Thulani Rhatisa and Julius Ket, were sentenced to 11 and 7 years in prison, respectively, the case against Nyalara faltered due to the witnesses’ unwillingness to testify.
Past legal history and high-profile cases
This is the second major case against Nyalara to fall apart in 2024. In August, the Western Cape High Court acquitted Nyalara and his co-accused, Wandile Tofile, of charges linked to a May 2021 mass shooting in Khayelitsha, where 12 people were killed and six were injured.
The trial was severely undermined by the murder of two key witnesses and inconsistencies in the testimony of the sole surviving witness, ‘Mr Z’, whose account contained inconsistencies. Debate over whether to conceal ‘Mr Z’s’ identity further complicated the trial.
The May 2021 shootings were reportedly triggered by the murder of Nyalara’s associate, Sikhumbile Nkonki, leading to violent retaliation. The killings were linked to extortion rackets and turf wars between rival gangs in Khayelitsha.
Initially, the case involved 18 murder charges and four defendants but was narrowed down to focus on a subset of the killings.
Nyalara’s arrest and broader allegations
Nyalara was arrested in 2022 in a Cape Town suburb while accompanied by two women and found in possession of 300 grammes of tik. At the time, he was wanted on 31 charges, including organised crime, possession of unlicensed firearms, business robbery and drug dealing.
He had evaded capture since skipping bail in 2018 after his arrest for a cash-in-transit heist in the Eastern Cape.
Authorities believed Nyalara orchestrated the Khayelitsha mass shootings in May 2020, where 18 people were killed. These incidents were tied to extortion rackets targeting local business owners and disputes between rival gangs.
A pattern of collapsing cases
Despite the severe nature of the allegations against him, Nyalara has repeatedly evaded conviction due to procedural issues and witness intimidation. His release raises concerns about the effectiveness of the justice system in prosecuting high-profile gang leaders.
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Picture: Supplied / SAPS
