Cape Town - The Bangladeshi community has threatened to shut down their businesses in Cape Town, saying they were constantly targeted and nothing was being done about it amid the kidnapping of Mitchells Plain businessman Akter Pradhan.
It has been a week since Pradhan was kidnapped.
It is believed the 37-year-old was driving on Wespoort Road in Mitchells Plain on Friday when three armed men stopped his vehicle and forced him into theirs before fleeing the scene.
It was reported that the kidnappers had demanded a R20 million ransom.
A shocking video of a bloodied Pradhan has been shared widely on social media.
In the clip he is handed a phone to talk to someone.
“Give money. I’m dead already. Already I am dead, give money,” he says on the phone.
Refugee rights activist Hafiz Mohammed said: “The kidnappers are calling the friends of Akter Pradhan, they are beating him and they are stabbing him.
“We think that is proof enough. “I don’t understand what the police are doing in this investigation.
“There’s been four to five kidnappings of Bangladeshi citizens, this is not the first one.
“This makes people doubt whether the police are involved in this.
“Otherwise why is nothing being done?”
Mohammed said the Bangladeshi community was considering closing their businesses as they felt “scared and extremely unsafe”.
“There was a meeting but there is still mixed reaction.
“We are thinking of fighting back, and ending up in jail, or to close the businesses and go home.
“These are the only two options.
“We have lost hope in the police and we are just tired,” he said.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said an investigation into the matter was ongoing.
“Social media platforms are not regulated, which allow people to create misconceptions and spread fake news, without being held accountable in most cases for their irresponsible actions.
”Kidnapping is a crime that requires responsible communication, and the spreading of misinformation can jeopardise a sensitive police investigation.
“It is on this basis that we request the public to verify the source and authenticity of the information before sharing it on social media platforms,” said Swartbooi.
“This office will in no uncertain terms divulge any information which might cause a threat to the life of the victim,” said Swartbooi.
Another Bangladeshi businessman said he installed burglar bars in his shop after Pradhan’s kidnapping.
“In this country it’s hard to survive.
“I closed my shop with a burglar now so people do not come inside because anything can happen.
“Now even if you are not in the shop, you are just driving on the road, you are not safe and the police are not strongly handling the situation,” he said.
Anti-crime activist Hanif Loonat said he was becoming “suspicious” of the police response to the ongoing kidnapping and extortion cases.
“I can with no reservation state that these individuals are terrorised and beaten.
“The minister needs to sit around the table and get to know what is expected from us citizens.
“The criminal justice system needs to have an indaba to put good practices in place to resolve the kidnapping scourge,” he said.
Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagan Allen said the unfortunate reality was that there were those who believed the SAPS would not be able to assist them and therefore might not be reporting incidents.
“We need to find mechanisms that place kidnappings and extortions front and centre and be brave enough to tackle them head-on,” said Allen.
Cape Times