4 arrested for allegedly kidnapping KZN teenager appear in court
A 17-year-old Pietermaritzburg pupil who was kidnapped while driving home in May, is happy to be home and will be getting the assistance he needs to get ready for his matric exams.
Abdul Mateen Khalid had been driving along Brixham Road at Raisethorpe in Pietermaritzburg when he was stopped by the suspects who pretended to be police officers. They took him out of his vehicle and fled the scene. The suspects later demanded R11.5 million from the family.
KwaZulu-Natal Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said he was rescued from an outbuilding on the KZN south coast this week.
The family said they are happy to have him back home. They have also expressed their thanks to the team who tracked down their son.
In an interview with The Citizen, his mother, Bhasharat Khalid, said he was shocked when she received the call from his captors. She told the publication that she pleaded with the suspects not to harm her son.
Abdul said he thought the suspects were police officers because they were wearing police vests. He recounted how he had to put up with terrible conditions while in the outbuilding.
He said he was in a room without a bed and slept on the floor. He said he could not sleep at night and when he heard rescue teams calling his name, he realized he was being helped.
Meanwhile, the four people accused of kidnapping Abdul are from Pakistan.
Omar Riaz, Mohamed Faisal, Rana Yaseen, and Nayeed Khan appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The matter was remanded for a translator to be present, as the men speak Urdu.
Two other accused, Thulani Mncwabe and Thembinkosi Hadebe have already appeared in court on related charges. Both men have prior convictions and Hadebe spent eight years behind bars for a robbery in 2004. They are due back in court on June 13 and are expected to join their co-accused.
-IOL
In other news – Interesting things to know about Thembinkosi Lorch’s ex-girlfriend, Nokuphiwa Mathithibala
South African soccer star who plays for Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana, Thembinkosi Lorch made headlines on Tuesday, 6 June, when he was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Nokuphiwa Mathithibala.
The former couple made headlines in September 2020 when Sunday World reported that Lorch was arrested for physically assaulting Mathithibala. Lorch – who currently shares a one-year-old baby with actress Natasha Thahane – was arrested on 7 September 2020 and granted immediate bail in the amount of R2 000. Learn More
