Businessman in beachfront stabbing terror

● Concern over tourism hub safety as father seriously wounded and robbed

A two decade-long family tradition of enjoying an ice-cream along the beachfront on a Friday evening turned into a nightmare for a Gqeberha family when a father was brutally attacked and stabbed.

As businessman Basheer Ahmed, 32, lay in a pool of blood, his young children and the rest of his family who rushed to his aid were terrified that he would die since he kept losing consciousness and was seemingly bleeding out.

The horrific stabbing along the city’s prime beachfront and major tourism hub has once again highlighted the need for increased security in the area.

Ward 2 councillor Renaldo Gouws said yesterday the lack of security and visible policing at the beachfront had become a huge problem.

Ahmed’s sister, Fatima Moosagie, said the incident had left the entire family severely traumatised, but they were grateful that her brother was alive and on the mend.

On Friday night, the family all got together and drove to the beach in two kombis for a beach walk followed by an icecream — a tradition they have been upholding for more than 20 years.

Shortly before they reached the restaurant complex adjacent to Shark Rock Pier, one of the kombis cut out.

Ahmed parked the vehicle on the side of the road and called a family member to assist him with jumper cables.

The family of more than 30 were enjoying their sweet treats and socialising when help arrived to start the vehicle.

Ahmed excused himself and walked back in the direction where he had left the vehicle when an unidentified man suddenly appeared, wielding a knife.

“My brother was walking on the paved area near Barney’s Tavern when his attacker stabbed him in his back,” Moosagie said.

“He gave the man his cellphone and his wallet.

“He begged his attacker to let him go. There was a scuffle and the man kept stabbing him.

“He got stabbed three times, in his abdomen, above his shoulder, and his arm was slit as if it was cut in half.”

During the scuffle, Ahmed managed to get up and stumbled in the direction of the traffic lights where he screamed for help.

His attacker fled.

At this point, the family member who was waiting at the kombi for Ahmed to arrive called the rest of the family to find out where he was.

As they were about to walk in that direction, someone came running towards them to ask if the “Muslim” man who was stabbed had been with them.

“We ran towards where he was lying and what we witnessed was a terrible sight.

“He was lying in a huge pool of his own blood.

“We were all just dazed and worried sick because it looked like he was going to die,” Moosagie said.

An ambulance arrived within 15 minutes and rushed Ahmed to Life St George’s Hospital, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said Humewood detectives were investigating a case of robbery with aggravating circumstances.

According to Janse van Rensburg, the stabbing happened at about 9pm when Ahmed was on his way to his vehicle at a parking lot on Beach Road.

While Janse van Rensburg said that no other major incidents had taken place recently for the area to be deemed a crime hotspot, renewed calls were made for visible policing and increased security.

Moosagie said they had noticed of late that the beachfront promenade had become very dark at night due to faulty street lights.

“The area where my brother got stabbed is extremely dark at night.

“Vagrants sleep near the pier and we have noticed that some of them carry long knives.

“The beachfront is a place residents should be able to enjoy and be safe, but nowadays

you cannot even go there to buy ice-cream,” she said.

Gouws said he would raise the attack at a crime prevention forum meeting tomorrow and try to get more answers from the police.

According to Gouws, he has been trying to get a tourism protection unit (TPU) up and running for the last three years, but this requires buy-in and approval from the provincial and national police.

Establishing a tourism unit would mean there would be a dedicated policing sector for the beachfront, he said.

“Members of the Humewood police station are doing everything in their power to safeguard the area, but we could benefit from having a [TPU].

“There used to be two metro police officers patrolling the area but I am not sure if they are still there.

“If someone is attacked and stabbed in a tourist area, it sends out a very bad message,” Gouws said.

The mayoral committee member for safety and security in the Bay, Lawrence Troon, said while the metro struggled to get its adjustment budget passed, there had been no money for the procurement of security services.

“After the budget was finally passed, the Constitutional

Court judgment on the invalidity of the 2017 Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Regulations placed a hold on tenders.

“This makes it very difficult for us to procure the services of private security firms,” Troon said.

He called on businesses in the area to work with the police and the municipality to help keep the area safe.

Police are appealing to anyone who can assist in the investigation to contact Warrant Officer Patrick Williams on 063-461-3217 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Moosagie said her brother described his attacker as wellspoken and well-dressed.