Kidnappings: Hopefully Not The Start Of A Trend

Farrel — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:32:00 -0500

Despite sharing a similar economic situation, a rich minority with an extremely poor majority, as countries like Mexico, Columbia and Russia, South Africa has not suffered the upsurge in ‘for profit’ kidnappings that have plagued those countries and earned millions of dollars for organised crime.

So I’m hoping that the kidnapping of the 19 year old Sisanda Ngcauzele, daughter of well known Gugulethu restaurant owner Mzoli Ngcauzele, is just a once off occurrence and not the start of a new crime wave. The amount demanded, R300 000, seems rather small but then again Ngcauzele is no Tokyo Sexwale. The only other publicised kidnapping I am aware of in SA was the Leigh Matthews kidnapping which ended in her death and jail for her abductor. Hopefully this time things will end on a better note for Sisanda.

I can still recall when I was shocked by the new crime of cash-in-transit heists before they were reduced to something that only warrants a report on page 4 of the morning paper. I don’t want kidnappings to become like that.

Update: Kidnapped woman found unharmed in apartment

Politics.za: Kidnappings: Hopefully Not The Start Of A Trend

Kidnappings: Hopefully Not The Start Of A Trend