Extortion racket spawns fear in Long Street

Published Jun 24, 2015

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Cape Town - Long Street business owners – who lifted the lid on an apparent security racket – fear for their lives and those of their doormen and patrons if they refuse to pay R1 500 in “protection services” each month.

Their fears were sparked after Beerhouse doorman, Joe Kanyona, 32, was stabbed, and later died, on Saturday night.

Western Cape police spokeswoman Constable Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed that a case of murder was being investigated.

Rwexana said police attended to a complaint at Beerhouse in Long Street on Saturday night, and found a man on the floor with a stab wound to his neck.

“The victim died of his injuries on the scene. No one has been arrested at this stage,” she said on Tuesday.

John Davidson, the owner of Bob’s Bar – during an interview on Breakfast with Kieno Kammies on Cape Talk on Tuesday – admitted that he feared “the same could happen at his bar”.

“We deal with people in our line of businesses and if something so distasteful can happen so close it makes me fear for my staff, patrons, and my life. Violence is not new in Long Street, but it has never been this major and I know it’s not the last time it’s happening,” Davidson said.

“I was once approached by a company that wanted me to use their services but when I refused my windows were broken days later,” he added.

Davidson said he paid R1 518 every month for consultation to a security company – Lifestyle Entertainment Security Services – that doesn’t provide any security.

The Cape Argus established that the company was registered but attempts to speak to Richard van Zyl, identified as the owner, proved futile.

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Another club owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, said similar incidents like this occurred all the time. He had heard that Kanyona, the security guard, was only doing his job when he was killed.

“I fear for my life and for my staff. We must be aware because this can happen again,” he said.

Joel Klein, one of Neighbourhood Restaurant, Bar and Lounge’s owners, said crime was an ongoing problem in Long Street.

“Crime has been rife for a long time but complaints fall on deaf ears. Nothing is being done about it.

“It’s tragic what happened at Beerhouse, more especially because it’s close to home,” he said.

Part owner of disbanded security company Strategic Protection Service, Mark Lifman, denied that he had any links to Lifestyle Entertainment Security Services.

Lifman said that after his company was disbanded he had been using another security company.

“There’s a lot of unsavoury people in Long Street who commit crime but nothing is being done about it.

“To protect my businesses I have hired a company that has well trained security guards who can deal with any situation they are faced with,” said Lifman.

Cape Town Central City Improvement District’s Muneeb Hendricks said everything possible was being done to assist the police primary agencies to prevent any crime in Long Street.

Hendricks said that between 10 000 and 20 000 people visit Long Street on a Saturday night.

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Cape Argus

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