Armed intimidation, inflated debts and underworld enforcers are now part of liquidation battles, with families and attorneys under threat.
What began as a routine liquidation process has spiralled into death threats, alleged underworld enforcers and fear that recalls the recent assassination of liquidation attorney Bouwer van Niekerk.
According to Chad Thomas of IRS Forensic Investigations, assassinations, intimidation and threats are becoming a cheap way to avoid justice.
Criminals are using hired heavies to collect debt or settle disputes through violence instead of the courts.
‘Kidnapping family and killing us’
Businessman Anton Meyer has been on the receiving end of a campaign of threats against him and his family for nearly a month.
His transport brokerage collapsed four years ago and was wound up through a legal liquidation process. One creditor, who owns a trucking company, is allegedly behind the intimidation.
“The threats are chilling. They talk about tracking us, kidnapping our family and killing us if we don’t pay money that was written off years ago,” Meyer said.
Thomas said the liquidation followed when a main client withheld payment after a contract dispute, leaving subcontractors unpaid.
“Disgruntled creditors, unhappy with the liquidation process, engaged the services of a so-called security practitioner to coerce the family into making payment through threats of physical harm,” he said.
The man behind the threats is allegedly Bongani Ambizone, once employed as a bouncer and security guard in Johannesburg.
Since late August, he has allegedly been sending Meyer threatening messages and voice notes that forced the family into hiding.
Hear some of Bongani Ambizone’s voice note threats here:
Threats escalate against Meyer family
Ambizone is, based on his social media profiles, a foreign national with roots in Zimbabwe.
ALSO READ: Crypto firm investigated by slain attorney Bouwer van Niekerk liquidated
In the recordings, Ambizone claimed to have tracked Meyer using his ID number and said he had identified relatives, including his spouse and child.
He warned that one of them would be taken from school or home if money was not paid.
Once a family member was caught, Meyer would be given a deadline to transfer the money. If he failed, Ambizone promised violence and bloodshed.
He said he had four of Meyer’s locations and would revisit each until payment was made. He added that once a family member was captured the ransom would double.
Meyer said Ambizone’s threats were backed up by stakeouts at properties and proxies who tried to gather information from neighbours and knocking on doors.
Links to Innocent and the security trade
In one message Ambizone said: “Let me tell you something. We live in Durban. You know how Durban people roll. Soon you are going to be apologising and crying.
“We are going to shoot one of you guys. You will see. You are going to pay us our money. We do not care about lawyers or police.”
The R170 000 debt in question, now under liquidation, was inflated to R500 000 by Ambizone.
This was despite his alleged principal, a man called Innocent, engaging separately with liquidators.
Ambizone mentioned Innocent by name in several voice notes.
Thomas confirmed that the attorney in the case also began receiving threats. Meyer said he does not have the funds to pay.
ALSO READ: Gauteng taxi association chair ‘assassinated’ near Soweto
Online threats
“After the collapse of our business we ended up living in a tent in the garden of a friend. I have only recently got a job, but the salary just covers putting food on the table,” he said.
The Citizen has contact details for Ambizone and Innocent, but by the time of publication neither answered their phones, despite attempts to reach them.
Ambizone closed his social media profiles after investigations into his activities began. This week, he reopened his profiles.
In recordings heard by The Citizen, Innocent confirmed that Ambizone was both his relative and business partner.
He said money from Meyer’s liquidated company was owed to them and claimed they now ran a VIP security business in KwaZulu-Natal.
Ambizone admits to threats
He accused Meyer, his attorney and the liquidators of shielding criminals, while making veiled threats of his own.
In another call heard by The Citizen, Ambizone admitted to investigators he had threatened Meyer, but insisted the family had threatened him first. Meyer denied this.
Ambizone confirmed he was the man in photographs published online, but refused to name his security company or provide the PSIRA registration number required by law to operate.
Ambizone, who also went by the name BeastBM on now blocked social media accounts, posted images of himself with pistols and assault rifles.
Thomas said his online footprint was directly linked to the threats and showed him openly displaying firearms.
Investigators also traced a weapon, recently pictured on his profile, by its serial number back to a gun shop, not to him.
ALSO READ: Assassinations are the new way to settle scores
A wider pattern of intimidation
Thomas said cases like this are becoming more common and some have turned deadly.
“People no longer want to litigate using civil processes allowed under law. Instead, they want to settle disputes with threats and through death,” he said.
“More recently, Bouwer van Niekerk was assassinated. Before him, Cloete and Thomas Murray and Babita Deokaran were assassinated. Many more have been killed simply for doing their jobs or knowing too much.
“In this particular case, we will not allow for another family and their attorney to be casualties of this growing pattern of murder for hire,” Thomas said.
“Security practitioners are held to the highest standards under the PSIRA code of conduct. PSIRA and police must act decisively against companies controlled by bad actors who engage in extortion and who fight proxy wars in civil disputes. These so-called practitioners are doing the exact opposite of what the industry stands for and must face the law.”
Police response questioned
Thomas also said Ambizone should not be masquerading as a debt collector, either. Not without being licensed.
“Bongani is not registered,” he said.
“It is a criminal offence in terms of the Debt Collectors Act, Act 114 of 1998, to present yourself as a debt collector if not registered with the Council for Debt Collectors.”
Charges have been laid against Ambizone and Innocent at the Brakpan police station.
Meyer said that was pretty much the last time he heard from law enforcement.
Despite attempts to obtain comment, the investigating officer did not answer his phone.
NOW READ: Late Babita Deokaran’s report on Tembisa Hospital yields results
