The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has ordered for the swift arrest of the two suspects who were involved in the kidnapping of a young woman as she waited for a taxi to ferry her home.
The 21-year-old woman was reportedly kidnapped by two male suspects next to a Gym at Schoemansdal Plaza, in Nkomazi on the night of Monday 23 May 2022.
However her assailants released her at Tonga before they fled with her cell phone.
According to the information, the young woman was waiting to board a taxi to take her home in Driekoppies at around 18:15. It is said that a green Toyota Corolla emerged with two male occupants who allegedly at gunpoint, ordered her to get in the car.
It is reported that one of the suspects, who was driving at the time, forced her to contact her family members, to demand an amount of R10 000-00 for her release.
After several attempts to get money failed, including checking the availability of funds on her bank App (on the phone), the suspects released her.
Surprisingly, before the suspects released her, they allowed her to make a call, to notify her family of her whereabouts. The suspects then removed the sim card from her phone and fled.
The family found her and it is reported that she sustained minor bruises as she was assaulted and her hands tied (with cable ties) by the suspects during the ordeal.
The matter was reported to the police at Schoemansdal and a kidnapping case was opened with an immediate launch of a manhunt for the suspects. The victim recalls that amongst the letters in the number plates of the vehicle, she could only recall the letters “KC” and she also believes that the car possibly had Mpumalanga (MP) registration number plates.
The investigation team has since urged the public to be on the lookout for a suspicious old green Toyota Corolla with some of the said letters (KC) in the number plates to immediately alert police by calling the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111 or send information via the MySAPS App.
All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous.
In the meantime, the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has strongly condemned this incident and vowed that, like in all other cases, this case will also receive the necessary attention it deserves. “In this province, we are grateful for the unwavering support that we receive from our communities, who constantly provide us with valuable information on the whereabouts of the suspects who obviously live amongst the communities and definitely known. We are confident that even this time around, they will not disappoint us so that we can capture these individuals before they prey on another victim” said the General.
