Eastern Cape Hawks Detain 6th Suspect Linked to Businessman’s Abduction and Robbery

• The Hawks have arrested a sixth suspect in the November 2023 kidnapping of a businessman in the Eastern Cape
• The 47-year-old appeared briefly before the East London Magistrate's Court before he was remanded with his co-accused
• All six accused were scheduled to return before the court on 5 June 2024 to allow for further investigation and consultation

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.

The sixth suspect linked to the kidnapping of a businessman in the Eastern Cape will remain behind bars until his next court appearance.

Hawks trace 6th suspect

The Hawks captured the 47-year-old man and he appeared briefly before the East London Magistrate's Court on 9 May 2024. The SAPS said the man was facing kidnapping charges linked to the crime committed on 17 November 2023.

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Authorities said the suspect, along with his co-accused, allegedly cornered the victim while he was in his car at a warehouse yard. The armed men reportedly forced the victim to drive his vehicle while demanding bank cards and pins. They later released the man and abandoned his car. Police added that the culprits then spent R300K of the man's money.

Businessman's relative linked to crime

A report by IOL said a police probe found that the people who orchestrated the crime included the victim's employee and a relative.

Mlandeli Gwadiso,43, Bonginkosi Gwadiso,25, Mxolisi Mapoyi, 38, Asemahle Mahashe, 32, and Sandisile Sithonga, 32, were arrested in November and December 2023 by the Hawk's Provincial Kidnapping Task Team of Serious Organised Crime Investigation and the East London Detective Tracing Team.

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The magistrate remanded the suspects in custody until their next appearance on 5 June 2024 to allow further investigation and consultations.

Cape Town man robbed of R486K in shopping centre's parking lot

Briefly News reported that security footage of a robbery at a shopping centre in Cape Town sparked conversations on social media.

The video showed a man being robbed of his black duffel bag and a firearm at the parking lot of Kenilworth Centre.

The robbers reportedly made off with R480,000, piquing netizens' curiosity about why the victim was carrying so much money.

Source: Briefly News