KZN man suffers amnesia during attack, his brother still missing

A man who was kidnapped with his brother on Saturday refused to be treated medically despite suffering head injuries.

Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) responded to a resident’s call in Southridge, KwaZulu-Natal, on Sunday following reports of a man who appeared to have been abducted.

The reaction unit said the man told them he had been walking with his brother on Garland Street in Temple Valley when they were approached by men who were in a white double cab bakkie.

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Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram told The Citizen that the victim could not remember the events that followed after being confronted by the strangers.

The victim was found abandoned in the bush after being assaulted and left to die. According to Rusa, the 37-year-old was in a dire state when he was discovered by the residents.

He was found with cable ties and rope around his hands and legs, and with his mouth taped shut. After being set free by the officers, the man refused to receive medical assistance despite being covered in facial and bodily bruises.

“He was in a drowsy state when we found him, he didn’t provide us with any information [about the incident]. He refused medical treatment [and] he said that he was alright,” said Balram.

The Rusa spokesperson confirmed that the victim was not robbed during the assault. The man could only confirm that the vehicle was a bakkie but did not remember anything about the men inside it or the model or registration of the vehicle.

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“He has no recollection of events that occurred thereafter and believes that it is due to a head injury he sustained while being assaulted,” said Rusa.

The victim was found alone with his younger brother still missing. When questioned by the reaction officers, his response was “he believes that his attackers left him for dead in a bush following the assault”.