Nelson Mandela Bay is fast becoming the kidnapping capital of SA, with hardly a week going by without this newspaper reporting on someone being forcefully taken and held for ransom.
Just this year alone, there have been at least nine abductions in the city.
It started in January with 52-year-old Bertie Williams, the owner of Sidwell Scrap Metals, who was taken at gunpoint.
He was forced into a vehicle and driven away but later safely reunited with his family.
Since then, we’ve had:
- Gulam Talat, 39, who was taken in January by four armed men from his business, Cell Tech Retail & Wholesale, in Durban Road. He was forced into a white Toyota Corolla and later released;
- In February, Juan Yang, 43, and Arshad Mahmood, 47, were abducted in separate incidents in Korsten and Kwazakhele, respectively. Both victims were eventually released;
- Also in February, 74-year-old Ebrahim Moosa was abducted from his business in Kariega in broad daylight. He was rescued a few hours later;
- In March, shop owner Jaffar Uddin was abducted in KwaDwesi. A ransom demand was made and he has since been freed;
- Also in March, a 45-year-old teacher from Algoa Park was kidnapped from school premises by three suspects. She was later released;
- On Tuesday last week, a 38-year-old businessman was ripped from his vehicle and kidnapped in a shocking, military-style ambush before sunrise on the M19 to Kariega. He was later released; and
- On Thursday night, in the latest incident, pastor Josh Sullivan was abducted while delivering a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell. A ransom demand was made, but Sullivan remains missing.
The latest police crime statistics, released this year, show that the growth rate in kidnappings for ransom climbed through the roof.
Between October and December 2024, 4,748 people were kidnapped in SA.
Though police are making inroads in other parts of SA, it is hardly the case in the Bay as the assailants often get away with it.
Where are the arrests? Where is the visible action?
Criminals are becoming emboldened by the fact that they are getting away with it, and that should worry us all because it signals an inability to stop them.
This pattern is going to continue as gangs and opportunists believe they can act with impunity.
Unless law enforcement agencies start making significant inroads, by effecting swift arrests, successful prosecutions and a strong public stance, it will never stop.
The Herald
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