Randburg Magistrate Deon Pool lashed out at nightclubs in the Rivonia area on Tuesday, saying they ”always” seem to be causing problems.
As 29-year-old Ashley Ginder — accused of beating up a student at the Tiger Tiger club in Rivonia over the weekend — appeared in court, Pool said the frequency of cases involving Rivonia clubs is ”getting ridiculous”.
”This is the third case this year involving a Rivonia club that is before me,” he said. ”It is getting ridiculous. I’m tired of steroid-induced, violent crowd control.”
Pool said it is time the police become more visible at clubs in the Rivonia area.
”It is maybe also time some of the clubs are closed down.”
He said clubs in other areas do not cause problems; it is only the ones in Rivonia.
Ginder was released on R10 000 bail on condition he reports to the Randburg police on Fridays and that he does not contact any of the state’s witnesses. His passport has been confiscated by the police.
Ginder will also not be allowed to leave the greater Johannesburg metropolitan area without permission from the investigating officer.
The charge sheet has not yet been finalised, but Ginder has provisionally been charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Pool told Ginder that he will be in ”serious trouble” if the 22-year-old student, Bradley Silberman, ”went further down the road”.
Silberman is in a serious condition in hospital after undergoing brain surgery following the alleged assault outside the nightclub.
Ginder allegedly hit Silberman with his fist, after which the young man fell and hit his head against a kerbstone.
The case was postponed to December 15 for further investigation and pending more arrests.
Ginder’s lawyer said his client denies being a bouncer.
”He has his own business,” Jannie Kruger told journalists outside the court.
However, he did not know the nature of Ginder’s business. — Sapa