Thursday 7 August 2014

Tour scammer shocks Walvis Bay

Johan Botha, a well-known train tourism operator who shot and killed a police detective in Johannesburg in a shootout last week, and then turned the gun on himself, sent shockwaves through sections of the Walvis Bay business community who only weeks ago dealt with him as he campaigned for a luxury tourist train of Zambezi Safaris to regularly call at Walvis Bay.
What aggravated people’s disbelief is the fact that Botha’s true name is Hendrik Wright and he used the name Johan Botha seemingly as part of a tourism scam he allegedly ran with his wife, Renette Wright and a secretary, Salome Klopper.
In the past several months, several South Africans, among others South African politician Japie Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus complained to among others TransNamib that they booked tours on the luxury train of Zambezi Safaris, but the tours were cancelled. Despite promises, they have not been refunded and angry clients had to make alternative arrangements to come for holidays in Namibia in attempts to at least not lose further expenses like air tickets on Air Namibia already booked and paid for.
The luxury train was used by the former Rovo’s Rail in Namibia, but after the company disappeared from the Namibian tourism scene, the train stood for years at a shunting yard at the Windhoek main station. In the close of 2013, a South African businessman signed an agreement with TransNamib in which the national rail carrier makes the train available at a fee to Zambezi Safaris and that Zambezi Safaris will then renovate the train for tourism operations in Namibia.
In April this year, the tourist train made a maiden call at Walvis Bay and in an interview with Informanté, Wright [Botha] released detailed information of his contacts with local businesses and institutions who could offer activities to the visiting passengers.
He also explained he had more than two decades of experience in the rail tourism business in Southern Africa.
However, as his, his wife and wife’s secretary’s alleged fraudulent activities took shape through statements by disgruntled prospective tourists, a South African Police Service detective, Warrant-Officer Ben Strydom, arrived at the Wrights’ home in Pretoria’s Montana Park suburb on 24 July this year. He had orders to arrest the couple for fraud.
When Wright saw the approaching police he fled on foot and was followed by Strydom who caught up with him. Wright allegedly drew a handgun and shot and killed and Strydom before getting in his car and sped off. A police chase ensued, but Wright managed to pull over and shot himself with his own handgun. Wright survived the shooting and is currently recovering under strong police guard in the high-care unit of the Steve Biko hospital.
Wright’s wife and Klopper were arrested and made a first appearance on charges of fraud in the Pretoria Noord magistrate’s court. They remain in custody and will lodge a bail application next week. It remains unknown whether Hendrik Wright would have made a sufficient recovery to also make a first appearance in the Pretoria Noord magistrate’s court on charges of fraud and also murder.

No comments:

Post a Comment