Another Cape Town businessman has been kidnapped.
Mustapha Goolam, 35, is the second member of the Bangladesh, Indian and Pakistani (BIP) community to be kidnapped since November.
Last month the Athlone News reported on the kidnapping of businessman Naushad Khan , 46, who was abducted by five men while locking up his shop Khans Punjabies in Hadji Ebrahim Cresent, Athlone (“Anxious wait for abducted man’s family”, Athlone News, Wednesday November 9). Mr Khan has still not been found.
According to Hanif Loonat, cluster chairman of the Mitchell’s Plain Community Police Forum, the kidnappers called Mr Goolam’s brother yesterday afternoon with a ransom demand of R11 million but dropped the amount to R10 million.
Mr Loonat said the ransom had not been paid yet because the family did not have money. The kidnapping happened on Sunday December 4, as Mr Goolam locked his shop, Food Town, located between Zeekoe Road and Fifth Avenue, in Lotus River, which is around the corner from where he stays.
Warrant Officer Wynita Kleinsmith, from Grassy Park police, said provincial detectives were investigating.
According to Mr Loonat, witnesses had described how two or three men had approached Mr Goolam and pointed a gun at him. The businessman had run to the corner of the L-shaped building where the kidnappers had grabbed him before bundling him into a gold Toyota Corolla with a CY number plate.
Mr Loonat said provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula had formed a crack squad to investigate the kidnappings of foreign nationals.
Mr Loonat said Mr Goolam had previously been threatened.
“The community takes it very seriously, and we will get to the bottom of this. We cannot allow this to go on anymore. They have been terrorising these foreign nationals for far too long,” he said.
Mr Loonat said families did not report cases to the police because they were scared of retribution, especially because they had families overseas.
