A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a five-year-old girl in Kwazamokuhle, near Hendrina.
The child’s grandmother was preparing a fire when a neighbour alerted her that they saw the child walking away with an unfamiliar man on Monday, November 9, at about 16:30.

The grandmother immediately went to investigate but could not locate the child; subsequently, the family and community members mobilised to trace the suspect and the little girl.

Suspect abandons child in open field

Police said the suspect, who allegedly told some family members that the grandmother gave him permission to take the little girl, abandoned the child in an open field when he realised he was being pursued.

The suspect was subsequently apprehended near a river, after which the police were alerted. According to a statement from Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise, the suspect was reported to have sustained injuries during the apprehension, which involved members of the community.

While the suspect is recovering from his injuries under police supervision at a hospital, a case of kidnapping has been opened at the Hendrina Police Station with an investigation ongoing.
The man is still in hospital under police guard. He has not appeared in court yet.

Police warn against vigilantism

The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Modise, commended the family and community members on assisting with catching the suspect while ensuring the safe return of the child.

Modise, however, advised community members against taking the law into their own hands and urged them to allow the law to take its course by reporting criminal activities to the police.