Kidnap scourge is ‘a national sport’

A MURDER in Cape Town yesterday is believed to have been linked to an attempted kidnapping, a crime happening with such increasing frequency in South Africa that it has been dubbed “a national sport”.

Durban private investigator Brad Nathanson puts this down to the state of the country.

“Not so long ago kidnapping was unheard of in South Africa,” he said.

He warned that “as more and more of these kidnappers get paid and get away with this crime, more people will be kidnapped” in what he called a new “national sport”.

For the first quarter, the 30 most affected police stations showed one station in Mpumalanga, seven in KZN, and 22 in Gauteng. The Gauteng region alone recorded an increase from 189 cases reported between January and March of 2021, up to 723 cases for the same period of 2022, said City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith.

“The evidence is clear, South Africa has a crisis on its hands.”

Yesterday Khalid Parker, 40, the son of Serjaaj Parker, owner of Primrose Café in Lansdowne, was shot in the head while crossing Imam Haron Road just after 10am. He was confronted by three men who fled after what is believed to have been a kidnapping attempt.

People who may feel vulnerable, such as affluent business people, are advised by the security sector to minimise their exposure on social media and hire “top notch” security.

Brokers are offering insurance against kidnapping, but the industry has been tight-lipped about this product because of its sensitivity. Whether it’s wise or not to take it out is a subject of debate.

Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee noted that the number of kidnappings had increased in recent months. “Insurance cover can be helpful but it must be done confidentially. Those who are vulnerable need to consider it,” he said.

Private investigator Mike Bolhuis said taking out policies to cover kidnapping for ransom had good and bad sides.

“I believe in insurance, so I would say yes,” said Bolhuis.

“We as specialist investigators would say it is a good thing if you are in the slightest way concerned that because of your worth you are a target for criminals.

“But in the same breath, I would also say that the insurance companies should have very strong documented contracts, which only after a thorough and in-depth investigation of such a kidnapping, and if it is factually correct, the insurance companies do a payout.

“There need to be forensic polygraphs and a thorough and in-depth investigation as well as risk analysis before the insurance company pays out on these policies that cover kidnappings.” Bolhuis added that it was also possible that those considering taking out policies to cover kidnapping for ransom could become bigger targets.

“The kidnappers know there is insurance so they will know for a fact that they will get paid, so there is a target on your back,” he warned.

“We need to be very careful; criminals of today are knowledgeable and will know if you are insured,” he said.

Institute for Security Studies criminologist Lizette Lancaster said she was unsure whether it would be a good or bad idea for South Africans to take out policies to cover kidnapping for ransom.

“I have no evidence to suggest whether it is a good idea or not,” said Lancaster. “The quarterly statistics have shown a substantial increase in kidnapping cases over the past year, however.”

Another Durban private investigator, Rick Crouch, said most of the kidnapping he had dealt with involved people taken while driving.

“They are forced off the road and taken; the second most popular modus operandi is at schools.”

Crouch recommended that a high-profile business person ought to hire “a top-notch close protection team” to protect them and their loved ones at all times when away from the home”.

The team should have experience in counter-surveillance, advanced driving tactics and tactical firearms use, he said.

“Be aware of your surroundings at all times, vary your routine and routes.”

National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe advised people not to expose themselves unnecessarily on social media platforms because syndicates monitored these for victims.

He added: “We do not encourage families directly communicating with captors as this may put the lives of the victims at risk.”

In the Parker case in Lansdowne, a police source at the scene confirmed that detectives had CCTV footage and expect to make an arrest soon. Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said the motive for the attack was not yet known.

Also in the Western Cape, two weeks ago, businessman Kater Akter Pradhan, 37, was kidnapped. Onlookers managed to film him as he was forced into the back of a car which sped off. The kidnappers made a ransom demand and released footage of him in a battered state.

Pradhan is the owner of Cheaper Chips Cash & Carry in Mitchells Plain.

Last month, Shanawaaz Asghar, 5, was snatched by six unknown men while walking to school with a relative in Kensington and was returned home within 48 hours.

During the release of crime figures last month, of 212 sampled kidnapping cases between April and June, only three incidents were for ransom.

In Durban, private investigator Nathanson said many Muslims and foreign nationals had been kidnapped.