By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gauteng SA Police Services (SAPS) Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni has confirmed that spaza shop owner, Mazwi Kubheka (27), was kidnapped.
Mthombeni was speaking at a media briefing attended by Premier Panyaza Lesufi in Vosloorus, East of Johannesburg.
Kubheka was abducted on 2 April while on his way to the bank.
The police commissioner revealed that Kubheka had been kept in a hijacked building guarded by two Malawian nationals. He had been blindfolded most of the month-long ordeal.
Details remain sketchy as to how Kubheka was released by his captors. Mthombeni’s version that Kubheka was dropped off at Carnival City was contradicted by Kubheka’s sister Nonhle, who said the victim had been dropped off somewhere else but managed to hitch-hike to Carnival City.
Mthombeni confirmed that detectives are still working to verify the full sequence of events.
“At this stage, the circumstances are still under investigation and remain unclear,” Mthombeni said.
Kubheka’s disappearance had triggered widespread concern in Vosloorus, with his family reporting him missing after he failed to return home on the day he left to deposit money for his tuck shop business.
Lesufi said details about the case and the investigation were deliberately withheld from the public so as not to jeopardise investigations.
He thanked all those involved in getting Kubheka home, especially those who protested and searched tirelessly for the victim.
“This moment belongs to the community. It’s them that went out, it’s them that raised the alarm, it’s them that marched, and for that we are indebted to them,” said the Premier.
“The person who is responsible for the kidnapping or the hijacking, the name is known to the victim, and that particular name, or the nickname, the police are working on it,” said Lesufi.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), kidnapping cases have surged since 2025.
A total of 4,571 cases were reported, an increase of 6.8% compared to the same period in 2024. That means, on average, 51 people are abducted every day in South Africa.
Gauteng remained the most affected province, accounting for over half (52.8%) of all reported cases. KwaZulu-Natal followed with 18.7%, and Mpumalanga with 5.6%.
Gauteng also recorded the sharpest increase in cases, up 15.8% year-on-year. In contrast, cases in the Western Cape and the Free State decreased by 19.1% and 13%, respectively.