The family of snatched businessman Ismail Rajah says a fight with the City regarding a cancelled tender has impacted negotiations with his kidnappers.
Nearly three months after the 69-year-old was taken from outside his company’s offices in Parow, his family has broken their silence, saying they remain hopeful that he is still alive.
Raziek Rajah, in an interview with Weekend Argus, said his father was “a man of integrity and we miss him and wish that he can just come home”.
Rajah, who was kidnapped by armed men in March, is the founder of Good Hope Construction (GHC) which employs more than 600 direct and 2500 indirect employees.
GHC filed a court application last week in an attempt to overturn the City of Cape Town’s decision in what it described as the “illegal” cancellation of its contracts.
It said the issue goes back to May 2019 when the City advertised a tender for the repair, maintenance and upgrade of rental stock staircases across the Cape Flats.
The family said the court issue had hindered the negotiations with the kidnappers.
Raziek would not be drawn on a ransom demand because he did not want to anger the kidnappers.
Raziek, who is the director of GHC, confirmed their company is under business rescue and that they had instituted civil action against the City.
“The company that my father started 46 years ago is in business rescue as a result of this nightmare (with the City) that we found ourselves in because of fraud and corruption.
The kidnappers thought we got money and suddenly this negotiation fell apart,” he said.
“We won a tender that has been cancelled by the City.”
City safety boss JP Smith told Weekend Argus he could not comment on whether the kidnapping was related to the tender dispute.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said the matter was still under investigation.