The abduction of an elderly woman from outside her home in a quiet Kariega street on Monday has triggered another cycle of anguish for a Nelson Mandela Bay family — and added to the city’s already grim kidnapping statistics.
The latest incident has prompted urgent calls for the SA Police Service to dedicate more resources to a specialised anti-kidnapping unit in the metro.
Exec Ops Protection Services member JJ van Jaarsveld said the latest kidnapping happened as Theresa Minnie, 73, was backing her car out of her driveway at about 5.30am.
“A silver Polo hatchback pulled up behind her, blocking her exit. The kidnappers jumped out and pulled her out of her vehicle. Our information is there were three of them,” he said.
“Her husband came out but the kidnappers forced him back into the driveway, pushed her into their vehicle, and drove off.”
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When The Herald arrived at the scene a few hours later, detectives were still milling about, lifting fingerprints from Minnie’s VW T-Cross standing in the driveway.
One neighbour who was at home at the time of the brazen abduction said while they had subsequently become aware of the situation, they had not heard anything untoward when the kidnapping occurred.
Minnie’s son, Morne Viljoen, said the family was bewildered.
“We are shocked and emotional. We don’t know the reason for this, or what to expect now.
“The police are investigating but we have had no news of any ransom.”
He said his mother had been on her way to work at the family’s logistics business in Kariega when the kidnappers swooped.
“The business is about 26 years old and we’ve never had any problems — so I can’t say this is connected.”
He confirmed the kidnappers were armed.
“I just hope they find my mom quickly.”
Bay businessman Kelvin Naidoo, who was kidnapped in July 2024, and endured a harrowing six-day ordeal before his ultimate release, feared that without dedicated police intervention the situation was only going to get worse.
He said kidnapping, with the terrible double-blow it inflicted on both the victim and the victim’s family, was also wounding the metro’s economy.
“This latest incident is indeed tragic — and, unfortunately, we have an overworked police kidnapping unit which simply cannot keep up.
“Unless there is a special anti-kidnapping unit set up in the city, I don’t see this getting better.
“As more criminals see this as an option, we will just see the number of kidnappings increase.
“Unfortunately, the targeting of businesspeople and foreign nationals will have a long-term impact on the local economy.
“We are already seeing that multinationals are avoiding local expansion [and consequent increase in employment] due to the risk to their people.
“Increasingly, local businesspeople are shutting their businesses and considering moving overseas.”
Naidoo said the trauma associated with kidnapping was suffered on multiple levels.
“The psychological trauma the victims suffer from not knowing what is going to happen to them, and the abject fear their families are going through, can only be described as cataclysmic and soul-destroying.
“You start distrusting everyone and hating everything to the extent that you even dislike random strangers who are happy while you are not.
“Being held captive without any knowledge of what is happening takes every ounce of mental and emotional fortitude — and it does not end on your release.
“When released, you will need to find personal strength and it is often in something simple, like lighting a candle.
“It is also vitally important to talk about it and preferably to another victim.
“There will be good days and there will be bad days — initially more bad than good.
“But time is a great healer and if you are surrounded by supportive people, who know when to reach out and know when to leave you alone, the recovery is faster.”
He said he had learnt that running away from his trauma was not going to make him feel better.
“If you run away, you will always be looking over your shoulder and the anxiety will be with you forever,” he said.
“It is also important to understand that this is major trauma and requires a doctor who may prescribe medication to assist in the recovery.
“There are two victims — the kidnapped and their family. This is life-changing for both and it is important to take things one day at a time and, if that is too long, one hour at a time.
“Don’t even think beyond what is happening now.
“I feel the pain of the victim in this latest incident and that of her family.”
ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom, who lives in the Kariega suburb of Fairbridge Heights — close to where Minnie was abducted — said he would be calling for the kidnapping phenomenon to be urgently debated.
“As the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, we need to collaborate with the national and provincial government on the one hand, and local community and business entities on the other, to address this.”
He said part of the problem was that the metro’s safety and security directorate had not been meeting regularly.
“The result is there has been no opportunity to ventilate proposals and no plan of action to tackle this very serious situation,” he said.
“I am going to call for an urgent motion of public importance in this regard to be adopted at our next council meeting on August 14.”
Ward 51 councillor Roelf Basson said the incursion of kidnappers into the normally tranquil suburb was deeply troubling.
“It shows how nonchalant these guys have become, and it is of grave concern.
“In the meantime, I will be looking to support the family in whatever way I can.”
Hawks provincial spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Avele Fumba said the multidisciplinary kidnapping task team remained active and continued to operate closely with various SAPS units.
“The team’s focus is to respond swiftly to address kidnapping cases effectively,” Fumba said.
He said active cases were being handled through the collaborative task team.
Significant progress, Fumba said, had been made since the inception of the task team, resulting in multiple arrests linked to kidnapping-related offences.
“It must be noted that some of these cases are currently before court, while others are still under investigation.
“We have seen positive results when families work closely with law enforcement and allow professional negotiators to handle such delicate situations.”
He said the Hawks would continue to closely monitor developments related to the latest kidnappings.
Fumba said they had observed in several instances that direct engagement between victims’ families and perpetrators could hinder investigations and even place victims at greater risk.
“We strongly discourage this practice and emphasise that professional police negotiators are best placed to manage such situations.”
In relation to the patterns of kidnappings, he said motivations for kidnappings varied, ranging from ransom demands to other criminal agendas.
He said each case was approached with tailored investigative strategies.
“We also wish to caution the public against immediately sharing the identity of victims on social media, as this can delay investigations and endanger lives,” Fumba said.
“Any public communication should be guided by the police to ensure it does not compromise the case.”
Speaking on the latest kidnapping, police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said the matter was under investigation.
“No ransom demand has been received at this stage. We appeal to the public for any information related to this incident.”
On Thursday last week, a 45-year-old shop owner was kidnapped in Ferguson.
He remains missing.
A string of other businesspeople and residents have been kidnapped in the Bay over the past two years.
Most have since been released by their abductors.
The Herald
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