Cape Town - A Mitchells Plain teacher and her daughter are traumatised after being kidnapped in front of their home.
The 48-year-old teacher, from Tafelsig, was abducted for several hours and then dumped at an informal settlement in Khayelitsha.
The kidnappers made the victim call her family members and ask for money. They got away with R3 000 and her car, a white Ford Eco Sport, registration number Khunju WP 1, which has not yet been recovered.
Her sister told the Cape Argus the story as the victims were still too shaken to speak.
“My sister in Langa told me she received a voice note from my kidnapped sister who said she was in an accident, and she needed R3 000 for the tow truck.
“At the time she had load shedding and said she would transfer the money when the lights were back on. The kidnappers made her call other people, including the victim’s boss.
They were going to demand R50 000 and keep them for two days in Lower Crossroads. They had a plan.
“Fortunately my sister sent R3 000, and we went to sleep thinking she was in an accident and she would return home safely.”
The woman said the following morning she received a voice note from her niece explaining the kidnapping.
“Around 2am my sister got a voice note from my other niece and she was crying, saying her mom and younger sister had been kidnapped.
“My sister didn’t take that seriously because she paid for the tow truck and she thought everything was fine. I was informed that my sister was on her way home from a church in Khayelitsha. The kidnappers followed until Tafelsig. She saw the car following her but thought the people would eventually pass her, but they didn’t.”
When the victim got out of the car to open the garage door, she saw a man walking towards her car and she quickly went back to the vehicle and locked the doors.
“The man ordered her to open the door and she refused. She said she hoped the man would go away. Instead, another one went to the passenger side where my niece was. They took out guns.
“My sister refused to open because she was stalling, hoping someone would come to her rescue but no one did. She opened and they threw them on the back seat.”
She said the men drove to Khayelitsha, where another vehicle joined them.
“The men ended up telling her that they were paid money to kill her and that they were supposed to shoot her in front of her daughter. They said they couldn’t do it and that is why they instead asked for money to make this go away. They took their cellphones, money and car. We thank God they were not injured.”
The kidnappers left the mother and daughter in Khayelitsha, where they got a lift to the police station.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said: “At this stage we can confirm that the victims in the above case were found and unharmed. No arrests have been made as yet. The investigation is pending. The complainant’s vehicle’s details have been circulated and not recovered as yet.”
Anyone with any information about this incident is requested to anonymously contact the investigating officer Detective Sergeant De Bruin on 079 894 1511 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.