Dad, son fear for their lives

A Laudium father and son are taking legal action against four businessmen to prevent them from threatening, harassing and assaulting them and their family.

The father is asking the High Court in Pretoria to prevent the men from approaching within five metres of them.

They are also asking the Minister of Safety and Security and the Laudium police station commander to arrest the men.

The court application, which will be heard on Thursday, follows an alleged assault on the son last Friday.

The son allegedly entered into a business venture with the four men. The business, however, suffered a financial loss.

It is alleged in court papers that, since October 2009, the man and his parents have been received threatening telephone calls.

"We were told that our son is indebted to the callers for an amount of approximately R50000," said the father.

He said a man arrived at his home saying he would "kill me in view of my not paying them monies due to them. As may be expected, my family and I were traumatised."

He said they reported the threats to the Laudium police station but nothing had come of the complaints.

He alleged the businessmen broke his car windows on December 12 2009 while he was sitting in a barber shop.

He said the businessmen had denied knowing the man who had gone to his home, but added that the amount owed to them was in excess of R500000.

The father said his son had to receive medical attention after an attack last Friday.

"It was evident that the men attempted to murder my son last Friday. Notwithstanding the horrendous attack on my son, the trauma experienced by my family and the evident threat that the men posed to us, the police refused/neglected to arrest the men.

He added that "the lax attitude of police officers attached to the Laudium police station means that my family and I are expected to defend ourselves. As a result and at great expense, I have hired a private security company to guard my house to safeguard my wife and children."

He said one of the men had approached him, saying he wanted to dissociate himself from the conduct of the others.

The father's and son's lawyer, Zehir Omar, said the matter would be heard as an urgent matter on Thursday.

The lawyer of the businessmen, Kineil Muthray, said he had not received any court documents, adding that he could not comment on the matter.