Cape Town - Frustrated and traumatised Cape Town residents are questioning the silence of political parties and the local government as more businessmen fall prey to a kidnapping syndicate.
The recent killing of Lansdowne-based businessman Khalied Parker has sparked outrage over the police’s inadequate response to the growing extortion and kidnapping scourge in the Mother City.
Parker, 40, the son of Seraaj Parker, the well-known owner of Primrose Cafe in Lansdowne, was shot in the head and killed while walking in Imam Haron Street by three unknown assailants on Friday at 10am.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said that although detectives were following up on leads, a motive has not yet been established.
But community leaders in Lansdowne on Sunday insisted that Parker was the victim of a kidnapping-for-ransom syndicate which targeted mostly Muslim businessmen from wealthy families.
The Muslim Judicial Council’s first deputy president, Sheikh Riyaad Fataar, said: “As the MJC we don’t want to come across as condemning these incidents solely because our Muslim brothers and sisters are targets. This is wrong despite the person’s social or faith standing and it needs to be brought to an end.
“What I don’t understand is how the police have many different or specialised units but are not making notable arrests to stamp out these criminals’ syndicates. What is the purpose or function of these units?
“Also, our government and politicians are not saying much, if anything at all.”
Lansdowne CPF chairperson Rafique Foflonker said while the greater community was outraged by Parker’s killing, residents were now living in fear.
Foflonker said: “Incidents like these affect everyone, not just the wealthy or prominent businessmen. There is no telling what will happen next or whom they will target next.
“I can understand why people are scared, but I feel now is a better time than any to look out for each other and support each other.
“We need to make use of community safety structures and support them to help one another. That’s how we work with police to stamp out these criminal syndicates because the SAPS cannot do it alone. They just don’t have the resources.”
Foflonker said while he had not personally been to visit the bereaved Parker family, a member of the CPF had seen the family to provide support before the businessman was laid to rest on Saturday.
Retired Western Cape Judge Siraj Desai attended Parker’s funeral on Saturday. Speaking at Masjidul-Quds, he called on state security to do more to support communities that have become kidnapping hot spots.
“Right now the first step we are taking is to call upon the country’s security forces to do something about this. If nothing does happen, we reiterate our call, and if nothing happens after that and then we assume they are incapable of acting, and we reach the conclusion that the state is failing.”
Desai said that then society would make use of other options available to it, among them debating how it could put in place a state that can better protect it.
Over the last few months, wealthy local and foreign business people and their families have been abducted by in Athlone, Mitchells Plain, Dunoon, Kraaifontein and Gardens.
Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagen Allen said: “This latest shooting incident – of an unconfirmed report that it was a local businessman in Lansdowne that was killed is deeply concerning.
“SAPS is investigating, and I encourage anyone with information to urgently contact them and make it available so that perpetrators can be apprehended and convicted. It would be unwise to speculate about the cause of the shooting, and I suggest that we allow SAPS to conclude its investigations,” Allen said.
Meanwhile, abducted Bangladeshi businessman Akter Pradhan, who was kidnapped on August 26 on Wespoort Drive, Mitchells Plain, by unknown men, has been released.
According to sources close to Pradhan, the family was able to arrange a ransom for his release which they paid at the weekend.
Last week videos of a tortured Pradhan went viral on social media after his abductors allegedly leaked them as a hefty R5 million ransom note.
“Pradhan is currently at home healing, but you can see the damage. His body is full of whipping marks. He wants to leave the country. I think a lot of businessmen within his circle are looking to sell their businesses and move out of South AFrica,” said a source within the Bangladeshi community.
