Mbombela court hears businessman was allegedly kidnapped for R30m ransom

Two men have appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court after a hearing on June 24 in which the court was told a Mbombela businessman was allegedly kidnapped for a R30 million ransom and held for seven weeks.

Charges and timeline

The two accused are charged with kidnapping and attempted extortion. The court heard the suspects were accused of abducting the businessman near Shandon Estate on April 14. The victim was reportedly held for seven weeks and was released on June 8. He has since returned home.

Evidence presented in court

During cross-examination of the investigating officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mkhonza, by State Advocate Maluleka, Mkhonza said the accused were allegedly paid R100 000 each by a Mozambican national to carry out the kidnapping. “We have evidence that shows that the said amount was paid into the accused’s accounts on April 15,” Mkhonza told the court.

Mkhonza also testified that the victim’s family reportedly received WhatsApp calls from a Mozambique number demanding the ransom. “The caller threatened the victim’s wife and brother that if they did not pay the amount, they would kidnap another relative,” he said.

Condition of the victim and ransom outcome

Mkhonza told the court the victim “was assaulted and heavily traumatised, as he was blindfolded the entire time.” He also confirmed that no ransom money was paid by the family and that the Mozambican national’s whereabouts are unknown.

Legal arguments and next steps

Defence Advocate Vusi Sekgodi argued that matters relating to an international suspect should not be considered during bail proceedings. The state disputed this, saying the law permits such evidence to be presented at a bail hearing. Magistrate Patrick Morris postponed the matter to July 2 and 3 to allow the court to rule on the issue.

Reporting and identity withholding

According to Lowvelder (The Citizen), the victim’s identity is known to Lowvelder, but the publication has chosen not to publish it for legal and ethical reasons. According to Lowvelder (The Citizen), the identities of the accused have also been withheld in line with South African media and court reporting practices in matters involving extortion-related charges.

Publisher note

According to Lowvelder (The Citizen), “At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention.” According to Lowvelder (The Citizen), research has shown that “our community newspapers reach 75% of our market while any other daily, weekly or Sunday newspaper doesn’t exceed 20%.”