Pierre Gildenhuys, head of forensic investigations at the Johannesburg-based D&K Management Consultants, says there is a growing demand for all forms of security in South Africa – from security guards at the entrances of residential complexes to personal bodyguards for high-profile individuals.

"People with money are a bigger target. People must realise they are living in South Africa. Wealthy families need to say to themselves: ‘We are high profile, we have to protect ourselves’,” Gildenhuys says.

Neither he nor any of his colleagues have been in an incident such as the kidnapping of the Moti brothers of Polokwane in Limpopo last month. However, Gildenhuys says proper training is the best defence against such incidents.

The Moti brothers – Zidan (7), Zayyad (11), Alaan (13) and Zia (15) – were reunited with their parents last week after being kidnapped on their way to school three weeks earlier.

A 64-year-old driver picked them up in a BMW from the Nirvana neighbourhood on Wednesday October 20, to take them to their school, Curro Heuwelkruin, on the other side of Polokwane. A white Kia Sorento and a black Mercedes-Benz trapped the BMW from the front and the back. Seven men in white overalls with assault rifles allegedly jumped out and grabbed the children.

Gildenhuys, who has advanced driving training, says there are ways to prevent a car from being trapped in this way. A personal bodyguard must be trained in evasive management to identify potential risks before they occur.

“There should preferably be a second car [driving] behind the target vehicle that is in radio contact with the front one. The people in the second vehicle watch when cars move too close and look as if they might want to block the front vehicle. The rear vehicle can then warn the front one in time to accelerate and do what you were trained to do. They must also call for assistance immediately.”

He says kidnappers know people do not expect a kidnapping and freeze when it happens. In some cases, the abduction is aimed at getting hold of someone close to the victim/s. It is usually planned in advance. It’s a ransom technique – kidnappers know that if they take something you love, you will pay more readily.

Gildenhuys says kidnappers know the chances of being caught are minimal. “They see the person, kidnap him, and ask the family to do an e-wallet [cash transfer]. They know the police can’t help. It is a terrible and heartbreaking reality.”

He says a bulletproof vehicle can play a very big role. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to drive around in an army vehicle, but you get a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW to prevent such abductions [in which shots are fired]. Our company trains people to know what to do before they end up in such a situation.”

Gildenhuys says those who use bodyguards range from ordinary people with a lot of money to those with a high profile name, or someone who runs a big business. Being a bodyguard is dangerous. "You can never say nothing will happen to me," Gildenhuys says.

The bodyguard’s training includes a three to four-week course in advanced car driving – which can be extended – and first aid.

“You have to have a medical background – whether your client steps on a thorn or is shot in the shoulder – you have to know how to act in the situation.”

Gildenhuys says firearm handling is an important skill for a bodyguard, and carrying a gun is a requirement. A bodyguard must be as unobtrusive as possible. “Nothing should indicate that you are a bodyguard, because if a possible kidnapper cannot identify a bodyguard, it makes things difficult for him.”

News24