Foreign nationals who own businesses in North West concerned for their safety

Foreign nationals who own businesses in North West are concerned for their safety. They want authorities to protect them. This comes after the kidnapping of Pear Ahmed Mujumder, a 40-year-old Bangladeshi national who owns a supermarket in Taung.

He was kidnapped last Tuesday, and his business partners were demanded to pay an R1.5 million ransom.

Police found his body at a house in Magogoe village, outside Mahikeng, two days later.

Abductors threatened to kill his business partners. But Hossain’s plea for his friend’s life to be spared fell on deaf ears. When we arrived at Mujumdar’s supermarket a week later we found his brother on a video call with his distraught family back in Bangladesh. His four sons, wife, and parents are grieving their sudden loss.

The deceased’s brother, Ahmed Mujumder says, “After my brother was kidnapped, my family is still not fine. He had four young boys. They are still looking for their father because my brother was always on a video call with them. And my parents are old. My father is like a small kid, when I call him, he just looks at me like this, and he can’t talk. My mother is still crying, and his wife can’t talk properly.”

His fellow businessmen fear for their lives.

“After their arrest, they also called us, that if we call the police, if we call the media or anything, they’re going to kill us also, they’re going to take us also and throw our dead body in the bus.”

“We are not safe, especially in Taung. So, we are very pained. so we need hard justice for my brother.”

Three men have been arrested for Mujumder’s murder and kidnapping. They appeared in court on Monday as the NPA North West spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, explains.

“Their case was postponed to 9th December 2022 for formal bail application, which the state intends to oppose. Preliminary reports reveal that Aobakwe Ntsimane, Modisa Ralokwakweng and Kabelo Badimo, allegedly kidnapped the deceased in Hartswater where he owns a supermarket and drove him to Magogoe village in Mafikeng. The deceased’s lifeless body was discovered tied to a chair, where one of the accused stays.”

Two more suspects were arrested in Limpopo this week. North West police spokesperson is Amanda Funani.

“Two more suspects aged 31 and 32 were apprehended in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of a 40-year-old businessman. The two suspects were arrested while hiding at Polokwane in Limpopo on Monday evening, 28 November 2022.”

Regarding the plea for protection, police say they are duty-bound to protect everyone in the country and that includes foreign business owners.