‘Modack wants R20K from bar’
DENIES CLAIMS: Security boss Nafiz Modack and THREATS: Beerhouse ownerRandolf Jorberg says he will notbe extorted by the underworld
A Long Street bar owner has publicly called out controversial businessman Nafiz Modack for allegedly demanding R20 000 protection money from him.
The owner of Beerhouse, Randolf Jorberg, made the accusations in a Facebook post on Friday.
Jorberg had apparently created a WhatsApp group called Cape Town Racketeers, which included Mayor Dan Plato, SAPS head Jeremy Vearey and Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith among others.
The Daily Voice tried to reach Jorberg this week, but employees said that he was in Germany, but that he stood by his statements.
In a screenshot of the WhatsApp chat, Jorberg accused alleged underworld kingpins including Modack, André Naude, Mark Lifman and the late Cyril Beeka of extorting legal businesses in the CBD for protection money under the guise of “security services”.
“I initiated this group because as the owner of Beerhouse I know with painful certainty (of having lost my doorman Joe to murder in 2015) that a single business can’t stand against the racketeers,” the post reads.
“In the last days, many businesses that never had to pay for protection have been approached by Modack’s gang to start paying him, but asking for up to R20k a month.
“As clubs are out of business they seem to try to make up for lost turnover and conquer a new industry.”
In February, Modack, Colin Booysen, Ashley Fields and Jacques Cronjé were acquitted on charges of extortion in the Cape Town Regional Court.
This after Magistrate Byron Pedro found that there was no evidence proving that they extorted R90 000 from a Waterfront restaurant in November 2017.
It was alleged that Radley Dijkers, Grand Café’s brand manager, was coerced into paying to make sure there would be no disruption at an event.
The four men were charged with money laundering and extortion, linked to a violent takeover of the Cape Town nightclub security industry, and illegally rendering a security service.
In his post, Jorberg urged business owners to piemp racketeers trying to extort “illicit security tax” from them, questioning: “Why is it that this scheme is only running in Cape Town, not in Johannesburg or anywhere else in the country?
“Why have the Modack’s, the Naude’s, the Lifman’s and Cyril Beekas been allowed to trade in the open for the last 20 years?
“Let’s have an open and frank discussion with police and government about the state of our business, if our businesses can afford this extra expense or if it’s government’s duty to protect us against this mafia.”
Jorberg later commented saying he had received a call from one of Modack’s men asking him to take down the post.
The post was not taken down and no charges were laid.
Speaking to the Daily Voice, Modack said the allegations were “fake”.
“How do you tell Beerhouse’s owner to pay protection fees if he is out of the country and his manager doesn’t know anything about it?” Modack asks.
“I do not deal with club owners, they are all signed up with [Modack’s security firm] TSG. I have more important corporate meetings than to see people for security.”
Modack said the “rumours” of the R20 000 protection fees were started by rivals “seeing Cape Town was taken off them by me and Colin (Booysen).”
He added: “TSG has registered PSIRA personal managers to attend to all of their clubs. Besides the clubs are closed so who’s gonna pay security fees? (These are) fake allegations.”
JP Smith said organised crime is beyond the City’s capabilities: “I saw the post and it is extremely worrying that organised crime groups thrive while there are the Hawks and the police.
“We can only arrest Modack’s men when we catch them in Long Street with drugs, but dismantling organised crime is in the hands of the police and Hawks,” he says.