Two men have appeared in a Cape Town court in connection with the kidnapping and hijacking of Member of Parliament Nqabayomzi Kwankwa.
The suspects were arrested following an intensive investigation into the incident.
Abulele Gongqa and Milani Mbizweni appeared at the Bluedowns Magistrates Court charged with kidnapping, extortion and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “The State alleges the two accused kidnapped, extorted and robbed a Member of Parliament of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in Driftsands in July 2024.
“The accused were arrested through a warrant of arrest as they were appearing at the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court.
"There was a warrant issued for their arrest at the Bluedowns Magistrates Court on a previous matter of robbery and theft. The present case has been postponed until 7 March 2025 for a bail application," said Ntabazalila.
The 44-year-old was due to travel to Pretoria from Cape Town International Airport on 18 July last year when he was hijacked, kidnapped and released after paying a ransom.
"It’s believed Kwankwa had stopped at a barbershop in Driftsands when he was taken by four unknown suspects.
His Jaguar was parked along Old Faure Road. A suspect took him into the car and tied his hands before putting him in the boot."
UDM president Bantu Holomisa confirmed that he paid the money after receiving a horrifying call from the kidnappers.
“He was driving his car to the airport; he was going to fly to Pretoria for the inauguration. I left around 11am and arrived at 1pm, and as I landed, I saw missed calls and messages from our secretary-general informing me that (Kwankwa) had been kidnapped.
“And I called his phone and the kidnappers answered. I spoke to him too, and he told me that the suspects were demanding R10 000. They told me to hurry up, otherwise, I was going to find him at the mortuary.
“We then paid the money. Apparently they went to take money out of his account first. When they took him, they shoved him in the boot and drove around with him to take out money and thereafter, they drove him to a bush where he saw an abandoned railway line. They took him out of the boot and pointed a gun at him, and that is when they said the money was not enough and they wanted more,” said Holomisa
In total the kidnappers were paid R25 000 for ransom.