Five Zimbabweans, aged between 24 and 42, appeared in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of kidnapping. Xolani Ncube, Milton Nyoni, Mandla Ntshongolo, Joel Moyo, and Kalvin Tshuma will return to court on Monday (20/5) for formal bail applications.

The Zimbabweans saw a fake advertisement on Facebook about the sale of maize meal in Klerksdorp and made arrangements on Tuesday (7/5) to travel from Pretoria to buy it, said Amanda Funani, North West police spokesperson.

“While the Zimbabweans were waiting inside the house where the maize meal was supposed to be bought, individuals pretending to be police officials entered and robbed them of their money.

“The fake police officials did not harm the victims and fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. A case of robbery was opened at the Jouberton police station.”  

‘The Zimbabweans then used a woman to pose as another potential buyer’

The victims suspected that the person who had robbed them might be the same individual selling the maize meal. The Zimbabweans then used a woman to pose as another potential buyer the second time around and arranged a meeting [with the same person] at a garage in Klerksdorp.

Funani said upon spotting the alleged scammer, the suspects allegedly grabbed him, placed him in their vehicle, and drove towards Lichtenburg. The police stopped the suspects’ vehicle near the town. The victim managed to disclose he had been kidnapped.

As a result, the suspects were arrested, and the 40-year-old victim was handed over to the Jouberton police for robbery. Tsietsi Ncipha, the robbery suspect, was granted bail of R2,000 in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Friday (10/5).

OFM News