Cape Town - A Cape Town tow truck business fears further attacks after around 40 people in towtrucks, some armed, descended on the property and allegedly threatened staff.
Dals Motor Group owner and director Elvin Nel told the Cape Argus that a fleet of tow trucks had pulled up outside his business in Montague Gardens around 3pm on Monday.
“Some of them were armed with guns,” he said over the phone on Tuesday morning. “They slapped my manager around and crowded into the workshop.”
He said the group were part of the SA Auto Repairer and Salvage Association (Saarsa), an organisation representing small and medium-size businesses in the industry.
It was the second time this had happened in the past three years and was part of a growing feud which his company wanted no part of.
The association seems to have taken credit for the attack on Dals Motor Group’s Facebook page, where they wrote: “A Warning to all industries following the demonstration against Dals and white monopolies in the MBR and towing sector in Cape Town today.”
In the post, the organisation accused Dals of “gobbling up” business and “stealing” lucrative contracts with insurers from the smaller black and coloured-owned businesses.
“We want to congratulate all those who participated in the actions against a corrupt and criminal system and want to encourage South Africans to wake up and support the fight against economic discrimination as we move forward in the national revolution started by our leaders pre-1994.”
The post also called on the ANC to investigate white-owned tow trucking companies.
“We call on all activists, true progressive revolutionaries and all South Africans, regardless of race, to stand together with us shoulder to shoulder in our fight for the economic liberation of our country.”
The organisation’s president, Wesley Douglas, sent images of the “demonstration” to the Cape Argus. In some of the images, tow trucks are pictured smashed and looted.
According to Nel, they not only stormed into Dals but also descended on another tow trucking business, CK Coachworks, in Retreat. Multiple attempts to reach the ownership or management of CK Coachworks on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
In another post on Facebook, Saarsa wrote that a hit had been placed by Dals on the lives of their organisation’s leaders.
Nel dismissed the allegation, saying that was not how he ran his company. He said he was planning to contact the regional police commissioner by the end of the week.
Cape Argus