Government Speaks After South African Artists’ Alleged Kidnapping in Ethiopia: “They’re Back Home”
- Mapara A Jazz returned to South Africa on Monday, 27 October 2025, following reports that they were allegedly kidnapped in Ethiopia
- The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) broke its silence regarding the alleged kidnapping
- Social media flooded the comments with messages of relief after DIRCO announced the duo's safe return home
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Source: Facebook
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has spoken after South African music group Mapara A Jazz returned home after being allegedly kidnapped in Ethiopia.
Mapara A Jazz, popularly known for their hit song John Vuli Gate, sent social media into a frenzy after a post on their Facebook page alleged they had been kidnapped on Friday, 24 October 2025.
According to a Facebook post, the music production and DJ duo claimed that they were kidnapped in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while travelling there for a performance. They posted a distress call, which included a pinned map location in the Bole district, near the airport. They also shared a photo of one member with visible facial injuries, including cuts and blood on his t-shirt and neck, suggesting they've been assaulted.
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Govt speaks after Mapara A Jazz allegedly gets kidnapped in Ethiopia
On Monday, 27 October 2025, Mapara A Jazz announced that they had returned home safely. They thanked South Africans and gave a special shout-out to a private security firm, Black Diamond VIP Protection, for ostensibly rescuing them. The post was captioned:
“We’re finally home! 🙏🏽 We’re grateful to say that we are safely back home. ❤️ We want to sincerely thank everyone who showed us love, concern, and support during this difficult time — from both Ethiopia 🇪🇹 and South Africa. A very special thanks to Black Diamond VIP Protection for their incredible effort, professionalism, and care throughout this entire journey.”
The DIRCO’s head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, shared an update regarding Mapara A Jazz. In a post on his official X account, Monyela shared a screenshot from Mapara A Jazz’s Facebook post announcing their return to South Africa.
He said DIRCO will investigate what happened to the music production and DJ duo. The post was captioned:
“They're back home. Our security agencies will reach out for a debriefing session so that we can understand what happened.”
See the full post below:
SA reacts after Mapara A Jazz return home following alleged kidnapping
In the comments, several South Africans applauded DIRCO for the update and for launching an investigation into the matter. Others asked Monyela to share what happened to the duo.
Here are some of the comments:
@dspha07 requested:
“Please let us know what really happened, Mokone, once briefed.”
@Cecilia_Mthwane applauded:
“🙏🙏🙏 You're always a step ahead, and you have active eyes in all corners of this world. Thank you, patriot 🙏❤️”
@dk_dax warned:
“Anyway, naive South Africans need to be more careful.”
@DonaldQuadratic mocked:
“Africa is home to everyone.”
Source: Facebook
Biri Marung hitmaker Tebogo Mashego gets stuck in Nigeria
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that another South African musician had a mishap in a foreign country.
Tebogo Mashego appealed for donations on social media after getting stuck in Nigeria. South Africans took to social media on Friday, 19 September 2025, to comment on the musician's viral video, where he revealed why he was stuck in Nigeria.
Source: Briefly News
