A private security company says it had nothing to do with denying beachgoers night access to Clifton Fourth Beach in a move to “lock down” the beach over the busy holiday period.

Professional Protective Alternatives (PPA) CEO Alwyn Landman told News24 that his guards were brought in to assist City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement officers after two teenagers were allegedly raped.

“Two 15-year-old girls … had been raped and were waiting on SAPS. This was why Law Enforcement closed the beach. [Every] other night it has been open to anyone that complies with the by-laws which Law Enforcement enforces,” explained Landman.

“We were requested to accompany Law Enforcement as our Tactical Officers are highly trained and skilled professionals. If anyone claims they were on the beach and chased away they would have seen that it was absolute mayhem and that Law Enforcement were really doing a great job to stabilise the situation – we did not close the beach.”

Western Cape ANC secretary Faiez Jacobs claimed he was asked to leave at about sunset as the guards cleared the beach.

“If the secretary of the ANC for the Western Cape were really present he would have seen that it was Law Enforcement that closed the Beach and not PPA Security,” Landman added.

(Source: News24)