A 45-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with kidnapping after allegedly abducting an eight-year-old boy in Canelands.
The child, Sandile Mthembu, left home with a 32-year-old neighbour to go fishing at a local dam. En route from Cottonlands, they briefly encountered an unknown woman collecting bottles and scrap metal.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said: “While at the dam, the neighbour reportedly became distracted. When he looked back, he noticed the same woman walking away with the child. He attempted to pursue them, but lost sight of both individuals.”
The neighbour reported the incident and was found with the child’s sandals. Balram said:
“He was unable to provide immediate contact details for the child’s mother. Reaction officers transported him to Cottonlands and confirmed the child had not returned home. They located and communicated with the child’s mother, who confirmed her Grade 2 son has a medical history of epilepsy.”
An extensive search was conducted. Officers later noticed a woman matching the description at the entrance to a sugarcane plantation on Vincent Dickinson Road. When questioned, she led them approximately 200 metres into a cane field, where the boy was found.
“During an interview, the woman could not provide a reasonable explanation for taking the child,” said Balram. “She claimed she had asked him to accompany her to her residence in Lotusville, where she fed him and forced him to bathe. She replaced his clothing, returned with him to the cane field, and instructed him to remain there until she returned. The child was secured by reaction officers and reunited with his mother.”
The suspect was arrested and detained by SAPS on a charge of kidnapping.
SAPS spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said: “The suspect appeared at Verulam Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 21 January; the case was adjourned with the next appearance scheduled for Thursday, 29 January.”
