A shocking kidnapping case has rocked Limpopo, with five South African nationals now in custody for the abduction and assault of a 42-year-old Ugandan woman in the village of Atok, Sekhukhune District.
According to authorities, the victim was snatched on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, by armed assailants driving an unmarked Toyota Hilux. She was taken to a secluded house in the Mecklenburg area, where she endured a terrifying ordeal, including physical assault. The kidnappers later contacted her relatives, demanding a ransom.
Thanks to a rapid response by a multidisciplinary police team, the situation took a dramatic turn. By early Friday morning, officers swooped in at Apel shopping mall—where the suspects had arranged a drop-off for the ransom—and rescued the woman unharmed.
In a major breakthrough, police recovered a firearm, rounds of ammunition, several cellphones, and the victim’s bank card during the operation. The suspects, three women and two men aged between 25 and 36, were immediately taken into custody.
They now face serious charges, including kidnapping, attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The group is expected to appear in the Sekhukhune Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 21 July.
This case has raised fresh concerns over rising abduction incidents in rural parts of the country, as authorities vow to crack down on organised kidnapping syndicates.
