Middelburg business targeted by ‘mafia-style’ security company
A security company offering debt-collecting services is accused of attempting to intimidate a Middelburg businessman to pay a ‘cancellation fee’.
With increasing rumours of mafia-style security enforcers trying to get a foothold in Middelburg, a local businessman decided to speak out to establish if his business is the only one being targeted and to warn others who might fall prey to the same group.
The man, who requested his identity and business remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, says he regularly gets walk-ins at his premises in the industrial area where security companies offer their services.
When two muscled men walked into his office early in July, he did not find it strange and had no idea what would unfold in the coming weeks.
“They offered their services as debt collectors. They said they require no fees upfront and take 30% of the money they collect. I told them I would keep them in mind. We exchanged business cards and that was it.”
The business card identifies the company as Global Risk Security Services. It shows a Pretoria address, lists two names and contact numbers and gives a Gmail email address. Despite only two names appearing on the card, the photo used depicts three people.
On July 18, he received a WhatsApp call and messages from one of the men listed on the business card. The messages read: “Hey bro. We have been waiting for your call. Are you oky [sic]?”
He replied with a message saying he asked his office to check but there was no outstanding debt. He ended his message by saying: “Will let you know when we have again.”
Things escalated on July 25 when the businessman received messages accusing him of using the security company’s name to ‘scare people’ and demanding he pay a ‘cancellation fee’ or risk them coming to his business ‘and do something bad’.
The businessman says he did not overthink it because he knew it was a false allegation. He says they were being opportunistic.
Later the same day, he received another message: “Don’t start wat u can’t win u can ignore m BT once I’m there with my guys u will loose more than what you have to pay for cancellation fee [sic].”
At that time, he was battling a veldfire on a farm outside Middelburg and when his phone rang, he answered it without thinking.
“I was irritated that they kept on pestering me while I had more important things to focus on, so I told them to ‘f*** off’,” he says.
He accompanied his family to eMalahleni for a school sports event the following day.
During his absence, at around 14:43, a car parked outside his business gate and four men got out while one remained standing next to the vehicle. The businessman says that the men walked up to his factory where they confronted his workers, demanding to speak to him.
One then walked to the office and kicked open the door, finding only his secretary inside. The secretary, whose name is also being withheld for security reasons, says she kept her cool and continued focusing on her work, ignoring the man.
“He was yelling that they wanted to speak to my boss and they wanted their money. I think he realised that I do not have access to money. When I did not react, he sprayed pepper spray in the office and slammed the security gate shut as he walked out. The gate has a slam lock, so I was locked inside.
“I am just thankful that my boss was not at work. Things could have been a lot different if he was,” she says.
The businessman says he ignored numerous WhatsApp calls and messages while in eMalahleni. He later received a call from his office informing him what had happened and he told them to press the panic button so that Titon Alarms could send reaction officers.
He would later see that the men sent him a video with no sound of how they entered his premises and his office.
Hans du Preez from Titon says he called the men to find out what the issue was and was met with threats.
They said things like: “You are a small boy,” and, “We are not afraid of the police; we will come and get you.”
Du Preez says the men kept on calling him for about three to four hours. He could not get straight answers from them about why they wanted money or how much money they were after.
This is the first incident of its kind that he has had to deal with, says Du Preez.
The businessman and his secretary laid complaints of intimidation and assault with the police the following morning.
It has since been confirmed through a trusted source that only a common assault case has been registered at the Middelburg SAPS.
The Middelburg Observer phoned the two numbers on the card given to the businessman.
One of the men, Sbusiso Phakade, said the businessman owed them money, but he did not want to elaborate on why or how much. He said the man must pay them the money owed because he ‘does not want to have to go back to him’, before ending the call.
The other man, Caven Gatsheni, said their company has moved from Pretoria and is now based in Newcastle. He said that he did not know about the incident in Middelburg.
“My number is there [on the card] but I was not there,” he said. He added that he is not one of the three men in the photo on the business card.
When confronted with the businessman’s version, that one of the men on the card was one of the two men who initially made contact with the businessman, Gatsheni claimed ‘he is lyingֹ’ and said he did not believe that any of the guys from his company were involved with Friday’s incident, before he also ended the call.
The businessman says he could easily identify one of the men in his office as one of the men on the business card because he had tattoos covering both arms.
An internet search for Global Risk Security Services delivered results with the same address shown on their business card. A landline number, taken from a company sticker on a photo, was inactive.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority was asked if the company is registered with them, but was unable to respond in time for publishing.
If you have additional information or have had a similar experience, contact [email protected].
@middelburgobserver A security company offering debt-collecting services is accused of attempting to intimidate a Middelburg businessman to pay a ‘cancellation fee’.
