Johannesburg – Business is booming for companies providing bodyguards or close protection services, with South Africans with deep pockets scrambling to secure themselves and their kids in the face of a surge in kidnappings for ransom.
Several security companies Sunday World spoke to said they were receiving more requests from people who particularly feared for the safety of their children and spouses.
Officials in the private security industry said the kidnappings had been taking place in the country for some time now but “under-reported”. Johannesburg-based private security company Magma Security Consultants’ general manager Carlos Rego said companies in Pretoria’s suburbs were getting requests from people asking for extra security following the surge in kidnappings.
“There has been an increased demand for close protection officers as the recent spate in kidnappings has taken SA by storm. Organised criminal syndicates are behind the kidnappings of wealthy businesspeople and their family members for financial gain,” he said. A total of 2 000 kidnapping cases were reported in the three months between July and September, data from the police show.
Within the sample, 52 kidnapping cases were for ransom while 13 were kidnapped for extortion, Police Minister Bheki Cele said. The issue of kidnappings came to the fore again last month after the abduction of the four Moti brothers in Limpopo. The brothers were later returned unharmed.
News 24 reported on Thursday that the Moti family allegedly paid a ransom of R50-million for the boy’s safe return, an allegation the family has denied. A grade 5 pupil was on Tues day also abducted from a Johannesburg school.
The Gauteng department of education on Fri day said a pupil at Sandringham High School had survived a kidnapping attempt. Experts said there were many reasons for the abductions, varying from business deals gone bad, extortion, and blackmail.
The owner of Soweto-based Khobi Security, Tebogo Modise, said there was fear in the community about the spike in kidnappings, particularly because arrests were not forthcoming.
“We have clients whom we protect through our VIP protection unit, and most recently due to the spike in kidnappings of school children and business people. Our operations are expanding as we provide protection for our clients in terms of escorting them to meetings, schools, and shopping.
“The problem is that many people in townships take security lightly, but based on what is happening on issues of kidnapping, people believe that they need to be protected.”
Bheki Ndokweni, owner of PN Aviation Protec tion Services in KwaZulu-Natal, said the kidnappings were causing unnecessary panic.
“Speculation causes panic. The police need to step up and profile the type of families that are being targeted. That will help us come with solutions. Otherwise, we will be chasing after shadows while we are dealing with well-resourced syndicates,” he said.
Kidnapping incidents in the country have also drawn the attention of the international community. The UK warned its citizens planning to travel to South Africa that there was an increased threat of kidnapping.
Police spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said there was a task team in place that would help all provinces get to the root cause of these kidnappings.
“At this point, it is unclear if these kidnappings are all syndicates for ransom. “The investigation at the national level is ongoing and the task team will work hand in hand with the provinces to get to the core of this,” said Themba.
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