Still fresh in the memory of local security companies after the recent ‘kidnapping’ case that set off a rush across the city, last Friday night delivered another drama, though this one played out more like a wild goose chase than a crisis.

A man, picked up by police during a routine patrol, managed to send out a kidnapping alert accompanied by his live location.

Security companies, believing they were racing to save a victim, sped through Mbombela in hot pursuit.

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Each time they arrived at a location, however, they found themselves minutes too late – chasing shadows as the ‘victim’ was simply being driven around in the back of a police patrol vehicle.

The chase eventually ended at the Nelspruit Police Station, where the supposed kidnapping victim was revealed to be Obiajulu Murapata, a foreign national from Zimbabwe who had failed to produce valid documents when asked by police.

Blue lights flashed everywhere as security companies converged on the scene.

Murapata was charged under the Immigration Act and appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Monday, February 9. There, he produced a receipt from Home Affairs showing he had applied for a permit after his passport expired.

The court directed investigators to confirm his status, and it was established that he was legally in South Africa. He was released, with no further court date set.