A viral video showing a 34-year-old man with his arms bound at the wrists, yelling for help while trying to fight off three men who are pushing him into a vehicle was captured on January 19 in eMalahleni. While the drama unfolds, a petrol attendant can be seen pouring petrol in the vehicle, seemingly carrying on as if nothing happens. Many readers reacted with outrage at his apparent indifference.

The man in the video has since been found, after his alleged kidnappers dropped him next to the road near Delmas. Three men have handed themselves over to the Witbank police on January 20.

In an exclusive interview with Witbank News, the owner of Engen Broadway Motors where the incident occurred, Chris Coetzee, explains that all is not as it seems.

He says the video that is circulating on social media, is only a snippet of the complete video and does not show how staff attempted to assist the victim.

Coetzee says he went to the vehicle where the suspect yelled: “They are going to kill me! Call the police!”

“I went outside, tried to calm down the victim and called the police,” he explains.

He says that although it seems the petrol attendant is passive, he was deliberately working at a slower pace to stall the suspects until the police arrive.

“Our petrol attendants are trained and know when to step in when something happens.”

Coetzee says he tried to reason with the driver of the vehicle saying they should think carefully about what they are doing and what the consequences might be.

He says SAPS was at the garage less than two minutes later but missed the vehicle that fled seconds before their arrival.

Witbank SAPS spokesperson Captain Eddie Hall says the public must phone the police immediately if they witness a crime being committed.

The Witbank police can be reached on 1011 or 079 891 5570. The police can also be reached on the national crime stop number 08600 1011 or via the national SMS line 32211.