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Newsdeck

Police with ‘machine guns, nyala’ raid Booysen’s home

Cape Town - Controversial businessman Jerome "Donkie" Booysen is launching a civil claim against police officers whom he said stormed his house, pointed machine guns at his grandchildren and effectively stole cash from him.

Caryn Dolley

Booysen, who was wounded in the neck in a shooting in May, on Friday described to News24 how his home was targeted in the early hours of Sunday.

He confirmed he was taking legal action against the police officers involved, whom he said had removed number plates from vehicles and name tags from uniforms.

It is understood his Bellville South premises was raided around 03:00.

News24 also understands a nyala was used to get onto the property.

Underworld ties

The raid is said to have involved 15 armed officers in full combat gear.

Sources with links to police said the properties of two other men with ties to the underworld were also raided on Sunday, but this could not be confirmed.

News24 sent an email query to police about the raid at Booysen’s house, but a response was not received by the time of publication.

Booysen, however, spoke out about the raid, likening police officers’ behaviour to how officers had acted under apartheid.

“There’s a doorbell, they didn’t even ring it,” he said.

“It was me and my daughters. Why did they have to come with machine guns?”

He said officers pointed the guns at his daughters and grandchildren, who were traumatised as a result.

News24 understands the officers seized R130 000 cash.

Cash taken

Booysen said he did not understand why he was targeted.

“We’re not interested in this gangsterism and stuff,” he said.

A lock to a bathroom was broken during the operation.

Booysen said officers had stormed the premises.

He did not know why they had taken cash from him.

It is not the first time he has claimed police stole money from him during a raid.

In 2014, police searched five of his properties, three in Glenhaven and two in Belhar.

At the time Booysen had said police had entered his premises without permission and had forced open the front door.

Club security

He had claimed about R7 000 was missing following the raids, which left one of his homes with damage.

On Friday, he said police had got away with their actions carried out in the 2014 raids.

Booysen was wounded in the neck and shoulder early in May.

Sources said he had been on his way to visit another man, who was also shot, in the Cravenby area.

Booysen told News24 he was doing well following the shooting.

“The next day I was out of hospital,” he said.

Four years ago Booysen was named as head of the Sexy Boys gang during a court case.

He has worked with former bouncer Andre Naudé and controversial businessman Mark Lifman.

His shooting in May is said to be linked to a violent takeover of club security.

A new grouping, said to be under the leadership of businessman Nafiz Modack, is said to be effectively hijacking the control of nightclub security from an older, more established faction.

The takeover has resulted in at least three people being wounded in shootings in popular Cape Town establishments.

In May, a woman was wounded in a popular Loop Street nightclub and on April 17, two men were wounded in a shooting in Café Caprice in Camps Bay.

Several murders also appear to be linked to the takeover. DM

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