SAPS Rescues Eastern Cape Family From 2-Day Kidnapping Ordeal, Mzansi Celebrates
- The South African Police Service rescued a family of six after they were kidnapped and held in a different location for 48 hours in the Eastern Cape
- The incident took place in Lusikisiki, where the family was forced into their bakkie and taken to another area in Mthatha
- Briefly News spoke to the Chairperson of the University of South Africa's School of Criminal Justice Tinyiko Ngoveni about kidnapping
- The police tracked them down and managed to rescue them, arresting some of the suspects
Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered police investigations and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.
Source: Getty Images
MTHATHA, EASTERN CAPE — South Africans gave the South African Police Service their flowers after the police saved a family from a kidnapping ordeal that lasted two days.
Family kidnapped in Eastern Cape
According to SAPS, the incident happened on 30 June in the evening. 10 suspects entered a homestead in France, Lusikisiki and held the family at gunpoint. The suspects took their cell phones before kidnapping them. They also stole their bakkie and brought them to a different area in Libode.
The suspects then took one of the victims and forced them to withdraw all of their cash at an ATM in Mthatha. Meanwhile, police received a report that the entire family had gone missing, so they mobilised units. With the assistance of a tracking company, the police located four suspects. The bakkie and another car, a Renault Clio, were recovered. The arrested suspects appeared before the Lusikisiki Magistrates Court, and their case was postponed to 4 July.
UNISA Crime and Justice Department Chair speaks on kidnappings
Briefly News spoke to the Chairperson of the University of South Africa's School of Criminal Justice Tinyiko Ngoveni about the impact of kidnapping on communities.
"Members of the community regard our country as not a safe country and no longer feeling safe in every space, including being inside their houses of high security," he said.
Mzansi stans SAPS' rescue efforts
Netizens on Facebook celebrated the rescue and applauded the police's work.
Joyce Malehu said:
"Well done to our law enforcement officers."
Modikele Modikele said:
"Good job, SAPS."
Annette Wyngaard said:
"Excellent."
Phaladi Mokgokgo said:
"Arrest those criminals."
SAPS task team arrests member of kidnapping syndicate in Johannesburg
Similarly, Briefly News reported that the police arrested a suspect during a rescue mission to save a Portuguese businessman.
The man's kidnapping was one of a slew of kidnapping incidents targeting Portuguese businessmen in Gauteng, the North West and the Free State since the year began.
South Africans applauded the men and women in blue's tireless work.
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Source: Briefly News
