Gqeberha kidnapping accused to apply for bail

A 59-year-old man will remain in custody pending a formal bail application following his arrest on a charge of kidnapping.

Mnyamezeli Lakhona Tete, arrested by the Hawks at the weekend, is alleged to have been involved in the abduction of a 31-year-old foreign national from his business premises in North End in April.

Tete appeared in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court on Wednesday, where his case was postponed to June 18 for a formal bail application.

He was arrested by the Gqeberha serious organised crime investigation team of the Hawks who had worked tirelessly with provincial crime intelligence and Makhanda K9 members.

He is charged alongside Mzoxolo Eric Grwayibana, 38, who was arrested on May 16 and released later on bail of R3,000.

It is alleged the two men, possibly working with other people, accosted the victim on April 5, and then forced him into an Opel Mokka.

At the time, the victim had been alone inside the business when he was held at gunpoint.

According to the police, the suspects allegedly used the victim’s cellphone to call his mother and demand a ransom.

The complainant was ultimately found six days later in the middle of the night in Kariega.

A Toyota Fortuner and an Audi were also later identified as the vehicles used to carry out the kidnapping.

Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said through their preliminary investigations, it was established that the victim was allegedly transported to three different addresses in Gqeberha in the Audi.

“On April 11, the joint team traced the vehicles and found a Toyota Fortuner at a car wash in Gqeberha, from where it was seized,” Mhlakuvana said.

“Investigations led to the arrest of the first suspect at one of the addresses where the victim was believed to have been held.

“The 59-year-old suspect was finally arrested on June 9.”

Tete’s arrest came after a search warrant was executed at his home in Motherwell on June 4, where an Audi A4 was seized. 

Tete was not present at the time.

An intelligence-driven joint operation was launched and the team received a tip-off on June 9 that Tete had been spotted driving a VW Tiguan at about 4.30pm in Fort Beaufort.

“The suspect was pulled over 3km outside Fort Beaufort where he allegedly jumped out of the car in an attempt to evade arrest.

“He allegedly ran into the nearby bushes where he was caught and apprehended.”

Mhlakuvana said the man’s wife and two other family members were also in the vehicle at the time.

“There is a possibility that the suspect might be linked to the kidnapping of a 34-year-old woman on March 13 from the  front of her house in Kariega.

“She was released, unharmed, two days after the incident.”

Hawks provincial head Major-General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya commended the team for their joint effort in ensuring the arrest of the alleged culprits.

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