By Kathy Sundstrom
Hot-headed former Junior Springbok rugby lock Armand du Preez is raising temperatures in Uitenhage near Port Elizabeth with his latest form of aggression - Bible-punching.
Massive "ghetto blasters" outside his furniture shop in Uitenhage's Main Street are pumping out gospel music and preaching, to the anger of nearby shopowners and residents.
Businesses have also complained that Du Preez was chasing shoppers away from the area with the blaring noise - which sometimes goes on until 3am. But even the municipality and police are not quite sure how to handle the burly giant - who has a reputation for violent outbursts. He has already had an altercation with a municipal official who told him to keep the noise down.
Desperate residents in nearby blocks of flats have even sent the municipality a lengthy petition, requesting that they put a stop to the blaring noise, which has been going on for several months and which is giving them sleepless nights.
Chief health services officer Henry Schnettler said he had approached Du Preez two months ago "with a police officer in case he got angry" and asked him to turn his music down. But his request fell on deaf ears.
"Mr Du Preez was adamant that he was going to continue playing his music," Mr Schnettler said.
"I know he has a reputation of getting angry quickly and when I approached him, we had a little altercation, so I was thankful I had the police with me.
"At the moment we are busy examining the law to see what action we can take if he continues to play loud music."
Another municipal source said that on Friday nights, Du Preez was "trying to compete" with the nearby Grosvenor Hotel. "He is trying to convert the hotel customers."
When a reporter visited Uitenhage this week, gospel music could be heard above the noise of the traffic from about 200m away from Du Preez's shop, Furnworld. And neighbouring businesses said that "it was a quiet day" as Du Preez had turned the music down slightly in the last week. Large speakers were placed out on the street where the music could be heard from miles around.
Shop manager Sarel Fourie said the music and pamphlets scattered around the shop were part of their ministry to street people. He denied the music was too loud, especially as they had recently replaced their 150-watt speakers with softer 70-watt speakers, and refused to believe that residents could hear the music above the traffic noise.
Du Preez said he had come up with the idea of spreading the word when he "was saved on December 30 1996".
"I have had no incidents since then - except for the minor thing with the vet - and I want people to know what God did for me."
Du Preez is facing charges of assault after he allegedly beat up his vet, Riaan Mulder, outside his consulting rooms after an angry exchange about the disposal of his dead Maltese poodle in October 1998. Judgment is expected on July 25.
Besides being linked to several tiffs on the rugby field, he was fined R250 on June 10 1997 for assaulting murder accused Fanie de Lange in his prison cell on September 12 1996. Du Preez talked police into allowing him into De Lange's cell nine days after his arrest in connection with the murder of Eastern Province rugby administrator Merwe Swart, and beat him up.