Online Reporter
Sunday News Reporter
In a dramatic turn of events, South African businessman George Tlou has reportedly gone into hiding after his home located in Noorwood, Johannesburg, was set on fire in the early evening hours of Friday 10 January 2025 following escalating violence from business rivals amid a fierce competition for lucrative tenders in South Africa.
Sources close to Tlou have disclosed that what began as verbal threats quickly escalated into physical attacks, resulting in attempted murder cases and car hijacking cases filed with the South African Police Service.
“The house was set on fire on Friday night following numerous attacks on him,” said a police source.
This publication has also seen the case numbers associated with both incidents but we cannot publish them as investigations are still ongoing.
Despite the gravity of the situation, sources indicate that Tlou’s rivals boast connections within the police force, and to date, no arrests have been made.
They are also heavily linked with violent gangs operating in the country, who they constantly use against their rivals like Tlou.
As the situation unfolds, the community is left questioning the security and safety of individuals in the competitive business environment, where rivalries can turn deadly.
The plight of George Tlou serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which some may go in pursuit of business dominance.
South Africa has generally been regarded as a dangerous country with high cases of gun violence being reported.
In 2022–2023, 31 people were shot and killed each day, a 35% increase from 2021–2022.In July–September 2023, 125 people were killed in incidents with four or more deaths.
Between 2023–2024, police data indicates that guns were used in 12,000–16,000 murders
Colletta Dube