‘Kidnapping’, gambled rent money, and faked cattle theft: Men’s lies come back to haunt them

2024 is already proving to be a difficult one for two men who were caught lying to their families.

The Western Cape Multi-disciplinary Kidnapping Task Team has arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly staging his own kidnapping.

According to Captain Frederick van Wyk, on 02 January, a foreign national man reported his brother kidnapped after receiving a message from an anonymous cell number.

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The man reportedly left his home in Philippi East for work, leaving his brother, who was supposed to go and deposit rent money at Shoprite for the premises they are residing at.

It’s alleged that the man’s cellphone was off the entire day and switched it on at about 6pm, only to be find a message that his beloved brother had been kidnapped.

The apparent kidnappers were demanding “between R4,000 and R5,000” for his safe return.

“They also said that they took the money and the cellular telephone of the captive and that they are in the Khayelitsha area,” said Captain Van Wyk.

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Later in the day, the wife of the man also received a message from a different number demanding the ransom.

On the day, the brother did not return home, and the ransom was increased to R15,000. The family decided to pay the R15,000 ransom via e-wallet on 9 January, and the brother was ‘released’ yesterday.

However, when he reached home, he allegedly admitted that he and his friend had staged the kidnapping to extort money from his family.

He had also used the rent money for gambling.

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The brother is currently detained at the Philippi East Police Station, and is expected to make his first court appearance in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Elderly man nabbed for perjury

In a separate incident, an 83-year-old man was reportedly given a three-year suspended sentence for opening a bogus stock theft case.

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According to Captain Welile Matyolo, the 83-year-old man from Xopozo in the Eastern Cape falsely reported his stock stolen between November and early December in 2023.

At the time, the elderly man indicated that his three cattle were stolen while grazing in the fields.

A case of stock theft was investigated by Flagstaff Stock Theft Unit and, as the investigation progressed, it was established that the man had actually sold the cattle.

Two of the cattle were subsequently recovered, while the third was already slaughtered. The total value of the cattle is R30 000.

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A case of perjury was opened and Anderson Nofuma was charged and appeared in the Flagstaff Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where he reportedly pleaded guilty.