Kidnapping in South Africa

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Kidnapping
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Kidnapping in South Africa is a common crime in the country, with over 4,100 in the 2013/2014 period, and a child going missing every five hours.[1][2]

The 1966 kidnapping for ransom of Etty Glazer for R140,000 was 4 times the ransom paid in the Lindbergh kidnapping and was the highest paid ransom demand in the world at the time.[3]

Walter da Silva, a Brazilian professional footballer, was kidnapped by dissatisfied soccer fans in an attempt to alter the outcome of a 1999 Premier Soccer League clash. He was the coach of Moroka Swallows F.C. at the time. The kidnappers ordered him to phone two of his technical assistants and tell them to leave the match.[4]

In 2004 Benedict Cumberbatch and two friends were kidnapped by 6 armed men near St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal. Benedict only spoke publicly about it in July 2009 at an interview for a book launched by the Prince's Trust and Starbucks.[5]

On 16 March 2015, 48-year-old Chen Lin, was kidnapped for ransom by four armed men in front of his Kokstad apartment gate. They took him to a property near Bizana, some 80 km away. They contacted his wife, using his phone, and demanded a R2,000,000 (2 Million Rand) ransom. The next day two of the kidnappers left to purchase food in the nearby town. While away, the two remaining kidnappers apparently snorted cocaine, and sometime later fell asleep. At this time Mr Lin managed to free himself, and escape; a passing motorist picked him up and took him to hospital.[6]

  1. ^ "Crime Statistics: April 2013 - March 2014". South African Police Service. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  2. ^ "The Shocking Reality". missingchildren.org.za. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference acm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference indep741689 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "'Sherlock star in kidnap terror' – Daily Star's not quite so exclusive exclusive". The Guardian. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  6. ^ Khaya Magenu; Ntuntu Dweba (20 March 2015). "KFC and 'cocaine' save man from kidnappers". News24. Retrieved 20 March 2015.