Van der Merwe arrested after allegations of intimidation

Businessman George van der Merwe has been arrested.

Police confirmed that Mr Van der Merwe was apprehended Thursday in the Western Cape. He made a swift first appearance in the Ladismith Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Police from Sandton are expected to collect him from Ladismith, after which he will appear in the Randburg court on Friday, February 20.

Complainant speaks: ‘George told me he is there to kill me’

Mr Kumkani Ntuli spoke on the record with the Middelburg Observer, confirming that he is the complainant in one of the intimidation cases opened against Mr Van der Merwe.

Mr Ntuli, a consultant at Liberty Coal Mine, said he opened the case on January 21 following an alleged incident the previous evening at his home in Aerorand.

According to Mr Ntuli:
“George and his goons came to my house with about 20 cars and guns. I wanted to leave my house, but they blocked me. George told me that he is there to kill me and that he is coming back for me.”
He further alleges that after they left, Mr Van der Merwe began sending threatening messages:
“He said how he is going to kill one of the other executives and carve out his name on his belt. He threatened to kill me and my family, as well as the other executive and his family.”

Mr Ntuli said he was on his way to Witbank (eMalahleni) and only returned home late. The next day he consulted his attorney and opened a case.

Shortly afterwards, an employee of Mr Van der Merwe’s opened a counter-case of intimidation against Mr Ntuli, which Middelburg Police communicated to him.

Another executive of Liberty Coal, Danny McGowan (owner and operator of Liberty Coal), also opened an intimidation case in Sandton.
In the days that followed, a poster circulated widely, claiming Van der Merwe was a wanted person. His photograph appeared on the poster.

Last Monday, heavily armed police officers were seen at his Middelburg home, but he was not there.

The Gauteng Police media spokesperson, Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, confirmed on Thursday morning that the poster was fake, but added that police were indeed searching for Mr Van der Merwe and granted the media permission to publish his name.

Later the same day, he was arrested near Ladismith.