Mariannridge woman allegedly kidnapped and held for ransom
The woman is believed to have been responding to a job advertised on social media.
A 25-YEAR-OLD woman was allegedly kidnapped and held for ransom after she responded to a job offer on social media.
“She phoned the contact person, who agreed to meet her at the Mariannridge pool,” said KZN SAPS spokesman, Captain Nqobile Gwala.
Gwala said she was kidnapped by five unknown men on Saturday, 15 February when she arrived at the meeting point.
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“She was allegedly held in the bushes in Mariannridge and a R20 000 ransom demand was made to her family,” said Gwala.
The incident was reported to the Mariannhill SAPS on Thursday.
Various units from SAPS conducted a search in the area and found female clothing and a bag in the bushes.
“Late [on Thursday] night (20 February) the victim was released by her captors. The operation is still on-going as police continue to hunt down the perpetrators,” said Gwala.
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KZN SAPS cautioned residents to be vigilant when responding to jobs advertised on social media.
“Those that are aware of employment scams or illegal employment activities, should immediately report such to the police,” said Gwala.
Councillor Marlaine Nair, a member of the city’s economic development committee and the DA PR councillor of ward 13, said she was deeply saddened by the incident.
“With the cost of living so high, and the unemployment rate increasing daily in our city, residents are so desperate for jobs that they are willing to do anything to get a job,often times missing warning signs in their enthusiasm,” said Nair.
She urged women to be extra careful and always move around with a friend or family member.
“The sad reality is that the eThekwini Municipality is failing to create enough jobs to tackle unemployment successfully. It’s imperative that unemployed people start their own little businesses to at least make an income to survive on,” added Nair.
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