(Photo: SAPS)
Seven defendants were each sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of kidnapping and blackmailing a 13-year-old girl.
Lt. Col. Magonseni Nkosi, spokesperson for the directorate for priority crime investigations (the Hawks), confirmed that the group, four women and three men, were found guilty and sentenced following a joint investigation by several police units.
The kidnapping took place in Kriel when the main suspects, Nelisiwe Mkhwanazi (33), Caleb Sebatane (25) and the siblings Dineo (44) and Dumisani Zondo (34), kidnapped the girl in a white Toyota Starlet with Gauteng number plates.
They were later assisted by Thabang Mndebele (47), Patricia Mkhize (44) and Emelda Nkosi (40), who were involved in blackmailing the victim’s mother. The group demanded a ransom of R200 000 and threatened to kill the child if payment was not made.
The mother then transferred an unknown amount of money on four separate occasions.
During the investigation, Sebatane and Mndebele were arrested at a shopping center in Vereeniging by the Gauteng flash patrol unit. They were withdrawing money and were caught with R9 000 in cash, which is believed to have come from the crime. The vehicle used in the kidnapping was also found in their possession.
Further investigation led the police to an informal settlement in Vosloorus where the girl was found unharmed in a squatter’s hut. The Zondo relatives were found there guarding the victim.
The remaining accused, Mkhize, Nkosi and Mkhwanazi, were arrested shortly afterwards.
All seven defendants appeared in court shortly after their arrest, where they were denied bail. They have since remained in custody pending their conviction and sentencing.
The provincial head of the Falcons in Mpumalanga, Maj. Gen. Nico Gerber, praised the teamwork of the various police units.
“The swift and coordinated action of our members, together with the National Prosecuting Authority and the courts, ensured that justice was done for the victim, her family and the community.”