Survivor fears for her life after alleged kidnappers set free

A 31-YEAR-old woman, who was assaulted, tied up, poisoned and kidnapped from her home in De Aar last year, believes that the justice system has failed her, after the matter was struck off the roll on May 3.

The complainant does not wish to reveal her identity as she fears for her safety.

“Shortly after I was kidnapped there was a second attempt to kidnap me. Now there is nothing stopping the accused from targeting me or another victim in the future,” the woman told the DFA.

She added that the accused never faced any repercussions.

“The accused, who is an illegal immigrant, is free to roam the streets - as if nothing happened. This is while I have to constantly look over my shoulder. I am still traumatised after what happened and have not been able to claim my life back.

“I do not feel safe in my own home. I am convinced that my attacker did not work alone and that the mastermind is still out there. To this day, I cannot fathom the reason for my abduction. I was kidnapped, taken to Johannesburg and brought back to De Aar the following day."

The woman has since left her home and De Aar.

“I had to abandon my Master’s degree studies and was the victim of a sexual assault at work. Since the incident, my life has been left in a shambles.

“If I did not have access to private medical aid, I would not have been able to afford medical and psychological treatment … I have been left powerless, without any support or protection.”

She explained that she had employed the accused to do renovations at her house.

“I don’t know how he entered the premises as I have a remote-controlled gate. He came into the house, tied me up and assaulted me on June 13, 2022.

“He has a bigger build than me and was carrying a weapon. During the assault, I wrestled the weapon from his grip and hit him with it in the hope that he would flee. I was fighting for my life but he overpowered me. My hands were bound and tape was stuck over my mouth. I cried and begged him to leave me and take my car and whatever he wanted from the house instead, but he didn’t care."

She added that the man’s girlfriend went through the house where televisions, clothes, food and alcohol were among the items stolen.

She indicated that she was forced to pay about R8,000 in electronic and e-wallet deposits into her kidnapper’s bank account.

“Most of the money was handed out or spent during the trip. I was bundled into my Audi Q2 and was driven to Johannesburg.

“I was frightened and had no idea where we were going, although I was able to see through the rear window. We drove around mainly in squatter camps where there were no proper roads. He stopped along the way to drop off his wife and children.

“I was only allowed to make use of the bathroom at the home of one of his relatives. I had already wet my pants when I was tied up at my house.”

She stated that her mother and friends alerted the police when they were unable to get hold of her.

“Thankfully, I had my cellphone on me and miraculously the battery lasted throughout my terrible ordeal. I was instructed to tell anyone who contacted me that there was nothing wrong.

“I sent a WhatsApp to my friend in Afrikaans so that my kidnapper would not understand my messages. I kept on sending my locations in the hope that I could be traced.”

She said that while driving back to De Aar they were stopped by the police near the Grasmere toll plaza during a stop-and-search operation.

“The accused paid a R200 bribe and they allowed him to pass.”

She added that her friend, whom she contacted, had a cousin who owned a security company.

“He contacted another private security company based in Johannesburg to assist in the rescue. They tracked us at the Engen garage near Grasmere on the N1 south of Johannesburg.”

De Aar SAPS members collaborated with the owner of Landile Security and Investigation Services and private security companies during the search-and-trace operation.

Two suspects were arrested by Johannesburg highway patrol on June 14 in possession of the stolen car, where the complainant was found inside the boot.

The complainant indicated that while she was in Johannesburg she was given coffee that was laced with rat poison.

“I was nauseous and vomiting and was hospitalised for four days. I consequently opened charges of attempted murder.”

She related that while bail was opposed following the arrests, the matter had been scrapped from the roll, without her being called to testify.

“I was never provided with reasons why the charges were abandoned. I requested to be placed in a witness protection programme but was advised that this is only available for active cases. I was also prevented from obtaining a protection order against the accused. Criminals have more rights while their victims are left to suffer.”

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane stated that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution in the Northern Cape had issued a certificate on May 12 for the accused to be re-charged on numerous counts.

“The matter was struck off the roll on May 3 in terms of Section 342 A Act 51/1977. The NPA is not responsible for striking cases off the roll.”

Senokoatsane referred questions to the office of the presiding officer to outline the reasons “as to why this serious matter was struck from the roll”.

“The State requested for a further remand in the De Aar Regional Court on May 3 as well as to add the charge of attempted murder to the docket. The prosecution only received the forensic report of the complainant's blood report on the day before the matter appeared before Magistrate Louis Human.”

Senokoatsane said the prosecution succeeded in opposing the bail application when it was heard before Magistrate C Abrahams.

He pointed out that the complainant had not yet testified as the matter was to be transferred from the district to the regional court.

Senokoatsane added that three accused persons were facing charges of armed robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, kidnapping and extortion.

“A further charge was to be added against the first accused of conspiring with other persons from prison to have the same complainant kidnapped again following his arrest. Accused one is from Mozambique and has no fixed address. His two co-accused (two women) are both South African residents.

“The prosecution wanted to add a charge of attempted murder but it was refused by the magistrate.”

Senokoatsane stated that the alleged bribery occurred in another province.

“We are unable to answer the issue of the alleged bribery and it is unknown if this was followed up. There is no direct evidence in the docket to prove that bribery occurred.”

Senokoatsane said the complainant was referred to the Witness Protection Unit of the NPA.

“The NPA has the best witness protection programme.”