Africa’s richest man, Johann Rupert, has boldly claimed that he does not feel the need to lock his doors at one of his farm holdings in South Africa – but how accurate are his claims?
The billionaire businessman was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s diplomatic delegation that met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, 21 May.
During the tense stand-off, Rupert shot down Trump’s claims of a “white genocide” in SA. He also attributed farm attacks to illegal foreigners and a high level of crime and unemployment.
JOHANN RUPERT: ‘I SLEEP WITH UNLOCKED DOORS’
Speaking to President Donald Trump, Johann Rupert claimed that crime affected all demographics in South Africa, not just white or Afrikaner farmers.
Rupert then made a startling comment about how safe he feels in his home country.
“I’m building three cottages for my grandchildren on a farm outside Graaff-Reinet. I often go to bed without locking the door”, he said.
On social media, South Africans found his statement hard to believe.
@RiebvJanbeeck: “You sleep with ‘open doors’ because you are a billionaire in a supermax security estate with private security.
@AnitaSchoonraad: “Johann Rupert definitely lives in an estate. With guards. And armed response – not SAPS response”
@Cabron123Ippon:“And what about normal people? Not everyone can spend millions a month on security.”
CRIME AND KIDNAPPINGS IN GRAAF-RENIET
Although Johann Rupert mentioned Graaf-Reinet, he didnt specify which property he was referring to, which he could sleep soundly with unlocked doors.
Like many locations around South Africa, the Eastern Cape town has its fair share of crime, including farm stock theft, insurance-motivated murders, and cash-in-transit heists.
In March, eNCAreported that kidnappings of businessmen were particularly high in the province.
On the X platform, one user posted a screenshot of an article that reported that Johann Rupert’s R40 million Cape Town mansion takes no chances with security threats.
“The entire property has been designed with the highest levels of security in mind, with state-of-the-art surveillance systems and a security team on-site 24 hours a day. This ensures that the property remains safe and secure at all times”, the publication reported on the property.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JOHANN RUPERT SLEEPS WITH UNLOCKED DOORS?
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