Cape Town – A mother in Nyanga is reportedly unable to pay a R100 000 ransom allegedly demanded by kidnappers after they reportedly abducted her 8-year-old boy on Friday.
News24 reported that the mother, Noxolo Mkontwana, was returning home when she got a call informing her that her son, Lukhololwam, had been kidnapped.
“‘I was on my way back home from work when I received a call from the kidnappers, asking me if I know what a kidnapping is… But I wasn’t quite following. I thought it was a prank and told them, ‘no I don’t understand’,” she said.
“They told me they had taken my son. They said, ‘we have kidnapped him, and we want money’. I told them I don’t have money, and that I merely work at a restaurant,” she added.
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According to Daily Voice, police spokesperson warrant officer Joseph Swartbooi said the Hawks were investigating the incident.
“Kindly be advised that the circumstances surrounding the incident you are referring to are being investigated by the provincial detectives and guided by detectives of the department for priority crimes investigation (Hawks),” the report quoted Swartbooi as saying.
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) revealed earlier this year that the South African Police Service crime statistics for 2010/11 to 2019/20 showed a 133% increase in reported kidnappings (from 2 839 to 6 623).
ISS further said that data from April to September 2021 showed 4 232 kidnappings (over 23 a day on average).
“In these six months alone, reported kidnappings already stand at 70% of the previous year’s total. The rate is now over 10 kidnappings per 100 000 people,” the institute said.
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
