Long Street bouncer stabbed to death

Two weeks ago, Long Street bar owner Randolf Jorberg rejected the latest of many offers by a security company to use its services. On Saturday night, his doorman was stabbed to death.

A security analyst said the murder of Joe-Louis Kanyona at Beerhouse was typical of an extortion network that targeted bars and clubs in Cape Town.

“If you don’t accept security from their company, rougher methods are used to convince you,” said the analyst, who did not want to be named.

“They use local gangs to do the dirty work and act as enforcers.”

The hiring of the security company was also directly linked to the sale of drugs, and bouncers were used to sell drugs inside bars and clubs, he said.

In CCTV footage of the murder, four men are seen entering Beerhouse at 10.38pm. The first man asks one of two doormen if there is a cover charge, at which point the other men attack Kanyona.

The 33-year-old Congolese was stabbed, and the knife left in his neck when the men fled. Kanyona was declared dead at the scene.

Jorberg said that two weeks ago, in a meeting with a security company, the name of which is known to The Times, he refused an offer to hire its guards. This was the most recent of numerous approaches to Jorberg since his bar opened in August 2013.

A month ago, 14 “bodybuilder-sized” men had entered Beerhouse and assaulted a customer and a doorman before leaving without making a purchase. Since then, staff had reported that people would enter the bar, walk around for a while, and leave.

“Sales reps in an unconventional [manner] have come and offered their services here,” said Jorberg, who came to South Africa from Germany in 2007. “I looked at their proposal and I didn’t see anything of value in there [and so] I told them I’m not interested in signing up. If the only purpose of the proposal is to protect me from a threat that they cause themselves [then] I’m not going to feed that.”

The owner of Joburg nightclub on Long Street, Bruce Gordon, said he had also been harassed by a security company, which he would not name.

“Over the years people have approached me. They were pushy and threatening and at some stage it got physical.”

Crime has increased on Long Street and Jorberg said businesses were discussing how to curb it.

“We’re in the process of setting up a Long Street Business Association, and security as whole is always a big topic. [There are many] little incidents like petty crime and theft on the street.”

JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, said undercover qmetro police operated on Long Street.

Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said the push by certain companies to control the safety of establishments on Long Street was not new, but incidents of intimidation were not being reported by owners and managers.

“The names allegedly involved are well-known names in the Cape Town underworld... ”

Police said they were investigating a case of murder.

Last August, an Institute for Security Studies report said protection rackets had flourished in the CBD for at least two decades and continued to thrive.

Beerhouse said yesterday Kanyona was a much-loved colleague and friend, “and although he worked in the security environment he had a gentle soul, friendly demeanour and ready smile”.