18 Jun 2024 | 04:39 PM UTC
South Africa: Deputy president of United Democratic Movement released June 18 being kidnapped in Cape Town earlier same day
Deputy UDM president released June 18 after being kidnapped earlier same day near airport in Cape Town, South Africa.
Deputy president of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) party, Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, was released on June 18 after having been kidnapped earlier the same day in Cape Town. Kwankwa was reportedly traveling by car along the N2 highway towards Cape Town Airport (CPT) at the time of the abduction. Details surrounding the kidnapping, such as the precise location, as well as the identity and modus operandi of the perpetrators, remain unclear. The victim was released unharmed in the Khayelitsha area after the payment of a RZA 10,000 (USD 550) ransom.
Maintain a low public profile and do not show outward displays of wealth, particularly if traveling alone and in higher-risk locations. Be alert to suspicious persons and/or activity. Vary routes regularly. Do not travel at night or in conditions with poor visibility. Drive with doors locked and windows drawn, and maintain a safe distance between cars in front of and behind you. Do not discuss plans and routes publicly.
Kidnapping for ransom is an increasing concern in South Africa, including in Western Cape Province. While criminal gangs and syndicates operate extensively in the Western Cape, opportunistic kidnapping is also a common occurrence. Victims have reportedly been assaulted and seriously injured during the commission of kidnappings and while in captivity. Though kidnapping mostly occurs in lower-income areas, some occurrences, mostly opportunistic, have been reported in higher-density and more popular locations. The N2 highway towards CPT is a notoriously crime-prone route, with road blockages, hijackings, and stoning of vehicles occurring regularly.
Approximately 4,500 kidnapping cases were reported in South Africa in the last three months of 2023; of these, 305 were reported in the Western Cape, and 2,367 of them in Gauteng Province. Kidnappings in South Africa are mostly robbery- hijacking- or rape-related; extortion kidnappings only accounted for three percent nationwide. Security forces are generally under-resourced and have been unable to stem rising crime rates, including kidnapping, which has become an increasingly national security issue. Due to ongoing socioeconomic issues, crime rates are likely to continue to escalate in the medium term.
