Grindr Extortion Case: Trio to Seek Bail in Cape Town Court

• The case against three men accused of using the dating app Grindr to lure and extort unsuspecting victims was postponed
• The trio allegedly targetted numerous men around Cape Town, including in Camps Bay, Brackenfell and Durbanville
• The accused’s defence has informed the court that the trio will apply for bail at their next appearance

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

The case against three men accused of using the dating app Grindr to kidnap and extort victims will return before a court in the Western Cape on 1 August 2024.

Trio accused of targeting homosexual men in CT

Mlungisi Mbuthu, Zwelakhe Ngwenya and Bongani Zulu appeared before the Cape Town Magistrate Court on 19 July 2024. They allegedly used the app to lure unsuspecting gay men, hold them hostage and force them to pay various amounts of money.

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According to EWN, about seven men informed authorities that they were victims of the trio in separate incidents in Cape Towns’s CBD, Brackenfell, Camps Bay, Claremont and Durbanville.

The accused’s lawyer informed the court that the trio will apply for bail in their next appearance.

Mzansi weighs in

Netizens shared their views on the alleged crime.

Thabani Mabezane said:

“The queer victim deserves justice and freedom.”

Rudolph Bessit added:

“Very disturbing. We should up our self-defence skills and perhaps gear up on tools as well. Be ready for the unexpected at all times, though it dilutes the fun a bit.”

@newdennis stated:

“Let them rot in jail.”

“@Izu_musiq warned:

“Be careful while using that orange app.”

@Angelion_ pointed out:

“Wow - this sort of thing keeps happening, and people wonder why I don't date locally.”

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4 Arrested for allegedly kidnapping victim found on dating app

Briefly News reported that four suspects appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court for targeting a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The group allegedly used a dating app to lure the victim to a secluded area and then robbed him. The men were found in possession of the victim’s belongings.

Source: Briefly News