Creecy orders Sanral probe into contractor linked to man who threatened women at Sandton restaurant - TimesLIVE

Transport minister Barbara Creecy has instructed the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) board to investigate the appointment of the Moriel Infrastructure Group after a man linked to the company was filmed allegedly threatening to kill women at a Sandton restaurant.

The department of transport said Creecy had directed the board to establish whether Moriel Infrastructure Group was lawfully appointed by Sanral and whether the company was fulfilling all its contractual obligations.

Sanral confirmed the investigation.

The move comes after a video circulated widely on social media showing a man confronting and threatening a group of women inside the ladies’ bathroom at Vlamo restaurant at Sandton Gate.

The man has been identified as a Zimbabwean and a director of Moriel Infrastructure Group.

It is alleged that he approached a group of women attending a private birthday celebration and offered to take photographs with them, which they declined.

He allegedly later demanded a phone number and became aggressive after being asked to leave.

During the confrontation, the man can be heard making a series of threats against the women.

“I’ll murder you now and walk,” he says at one point.

He also tells them: “I’ll put a bullet in all of you.”

The man is further heard describing himself as wealthy and claiming he could buy and own the restaurant.

The incident has since placed scrutiny on Moriel Infrastructure Group and its dealings with Sanral.

Sanral’s own tender records show the company has previously been awarded contracts by the roads agency, including a contract worth about R107.5m awarded in October 2024 and another worth about R71.6m awarded in January 2025.

Vlamo distanced itself from the man on Saturday morning, saying he had no affiliation with the establishment.

“We are aware of a video currently circulating on social media involving an unfortunate incident that took place at our establishment. We want to make it clear that the individual involved is not affiliated with, employed by, or associated with our restaurant in any capacity, despite claims that may have been made suggesting otherwise,” the restaurant said.

Vlamo said management removed the man from the premises after becoming aware of the incident.

“We take the safety, dignity and wellbeing of women as well as any other guests and our team extremely seriously. We have zero tolerance for behaviour that compromises the safety or experience of anyone in our establishment. Once management became aware of the incident, immediate action was taken and the individual was removed from the premises.”

The restaurant said it had also been in contact with the women involved and was supporting them after the incident.

“Our immediate concern after the incident has also been the wellbeing of the women affected. We are in contact with them and are committed to supporting them through the appropriate processes following the incident. We will continue to offer our co-operation and assistance wherever required,” they said.

“We are deeply disappointed by this incident and understand the concern that the circulating footage may have caused. The behaviour captured in the video does not reflect the values, standards or environment we work hard to uphold.”

Later, Vlamo confirmed that the restaurant and the affected parties had formally reported the incident to the SAPS at midday on Saturday and a case number had been issued.

“We are co-operating fully with the authorities, and the affected parties will provide all relevant information, footage and assistance required to support the investigation and the process to bring the perpetrator to justice,” the restaurant said.

It again rejected claims that the man had any ownership or management role at Vlamo.

“We must state clearly that the individual shown in the video is not the owner of the restaurant or an employee and has no ownership or management role at the establishment. Any suggestion that this individual is the owner is incorrect,” they said.