Within 72 hours of the commission of the crimes, Mthatha Central SAPS members attached to Crime Prevention and Detectives arrested four male suspects aged between 26 and 33 in two separate incidents of kidnapping and vehicle theft that took place in Mthatha on Saturday, 28 March and Sunday, 29 March 2026 respectively.
In the first incident of kidnapping at Mbana locality, Zimbane A/A, on Saturday at about 06:00, a 30-year-old male victim was severely assaulted by three male suspects aged between 26 and 28 and ultimately put in the boot of a Toyota Tazz vehicle they were driving. The victim was later dumped in a certain locality’s dongas after the assault. Police were informed and their swift response led to the arrest of all three male suspects involved. The male victim survived the ordeal and was taken to hospital due to severe assault injuries. The motive behind the kidnapping and assault is alleged to be theft of a cellphone.
In a separate incident of vehicle theft in Mthatha, Chris Hani residential area on Sunday, at about 15:45, the Crime Prevention members quickly spotted and cornered the alleged stolen Silver VW Polo in Rosedale locality with the assistance of the tracking system and arrested the 33-year-old male driver. Rightful, original registration plates and license disk were already removed from the vehicle. All four suspects are due to appear before Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 30 March 2026, facing their respective charges ranging from assault GBH, kidnapping and to possession of a suspected stolen vehicle.
