A Lonehill building constructor, Christopher Marais, went to Builders Warehouse in Lonehill to buy building material.
However, Marais did not drive out to his construction site, but was instead bundled into an ambulance and rushed to hospital after sustaining a fractured skull.
This after he was attacked by a jobseeker with a spirit level in the parking lot of Builders Warehouse. A case has been opened at Douglasdale Police Station, but Marais is not aware of the exact nature of the charges laid against his attacker.
“I have a fractured skull and 15 stitches. I haven’t been able to work all week. I’m going back for a check up on Monday [10 July]. And, hopefully, I can work. I am self-employed so this has really affected me big time,” he said.
Marais alleged that when he was knocked down, other job seekers who stood watching as he was being attacked, tried to rob him.
He said the attacker tried to run away but was caught by two other men who chased him. “The cops came and put him in jail. I don’t know what happened after that because the police have still not got back to me,” said Marais.
Douglasdale Police Station Spokesman Warrant Officer Balan Muthan said he could not confirm the case as he was out of the police station attending a workshop.
However, some of the job seekers sang a different tune. They accused some of their white victims of refusing to pay for work done, taking advantage of the fact that they were foreigners.
“These whites fail to keep their promises,” said one job seeker who declined to be named.
“After doing their jobs, they promise to pay us within a few days and after that, they stop taking our calls. We always catch-up with them. When they eventually come here to buy building material again, we beat them up for crooking [sic] us.”
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Another job seeker claimed that Marais was attacked by a man who had allegedly worked for him for a long time, but reneged on paying him his R550.
Marais confirmed that he had worked with his attacker but denied owing him anything. “And he only worked for me for two years. I helped him by giving him work… I fired him because he was useless,” alleged Marais.
The suspect, whose name is known to this paper, is said to be out of jail from his latest arrest and was reportedly outside Builders Warehouse on 9 July. He was, however, not around when Fourways Review visited Builders Warehouse on that day.
This paper could not establish the circumstances surrounding his release.
One job seeker, who also declined to be named said, “We are not thugs, but genuinely people trying to eke a living to feed our families.”
Local councillor Annette Deppe has met with Builders Warehouse over this intimidation. “I had a meeting with Builders Warehouse and it seems they also have no means of getting this problem under control. These job seekers are there because they are providing a service to Builders Warehouse customers.
“This issue gets brought up at every SEC Crime Forum meeting and at every Joburg 10 Plus meeting,” she said.
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Deppe added that the responsible authorities have not yet taken action, adding that there were no contingency plans from Urban Management in Region A.
“The residents have the direct numbers for [Metro police] who are the responsible body to bring about law and order. Bylaws are being broken every day and [Metro police] just look the other way unless you stay on their case,” alleged Deppe.
Communication manager of Builders Warehouse, Elzette van Niekerk has distanced his company from the occasional fights which break out at the store’s Lonehill branch between jobseekers and contractors.
Van Niekerk maintained that the fights were unfolding in a public road which had nothing to do with Builders Warehouse.
“The incident to which you refer occurred on the public road outside our store and involved a private dispute between a contractor and an informal work seeker, who alleges not to have been paid for services rendered to the contractor. Informal work seekers are attracted to congregate in the public area outside our stores for precisely the reason that they are frequently employed by both contractors and private homeowners,” said Van Niekerk.
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