On 3 January 2017, members from Public Order Policing (POP) were conducting crime prevention operations at Emmaus turn off on the R74 in Bergville.
A silver Renault motor vehicle was stopped. There were four men and one woman inside the vehicle. The woman was sitting in the back seat, between two of the men. Police noticed that the woman was upset. All occupants were asked to step out of the vehicle and the woman was taken aside and interviewed.
She reported to the police that on Wednesday, 3 January 2018, while visiting her sister at Maphumulo near Kranskop. She was approached by the suspects who forced her into their vehicle and brought her to Bergville in order to marry one of the suspects.
The four suspects were promptly arrested for abduction. The suspects aged 28, 37, 38 and 42 were charged for kidnapping and are due to appear in the Bergville Magistrates Court.
After court appearance the docket will be sent to Maphumulo police station for further investigation.
The KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa commended the members for rescuing the victim.
“I thanked the members for their alertness that led to the arrest of the suspects. We cannot tolerate people who are allegedly kidnapping women with the intention of forcing them to marry these criminals. There is no place for ukuthwa in our society anymore,” he said.
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