Kidnapped Durban businesswoman found alive

Sandra Moonsamy the Durban businesswoman has been found. She is alive and four men are reportedly in custody, Highway Mail reports.

News broke on Friday 8 November that the Westville mum who had been missing since the night of May 30, had been found and is alive.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation then, better known as the Hawks, took the reigns from the police to investigate the kidnapping of Moonsamy and the Pinetown SAPS communications officer, Captain Bongumusa Manqele confirmed the investigations were ongoing.

As investigations were following leads, then, “Sandra’s black Range Rover was found in Stapleton Road in Pinetown – KZN at approximately 6.30 pm. The vehicle was found with two bullet holes in the window on the driver’s side and the left front passenger window was smashed in,” a post read from Reaction Unit South Africa’s Facebook page.

“According to a witness, several African males in a silver VW Golf, a white hatchback BWM & a bakkie forced the businesswoman off the road. They then fired shots at the driver’s window when she locked herself in.

Other suspects damaged the left window with the butt of a firearm and forced her out. She was then pushed into a vehicle and driven away.”

Blue Security spokesperson, Andreas Mathios reported on that Friday morning that he had responded to calls from a variety of people, who he is connected to in his liaison with neighbourhood watches in the Pinetown area, about gunshots in near Stapleton Road.

“I was at home and also heard the shots and notified Blue Security Control to send a vehicle to investigate as I made my way to Stapleton Road,” added Mathios who said within a minute of leaving the home he came across the crime scene on the on-ramp to the M13.

Listen to Mathios describe the scene he found in this voice note he sent to the media on Friday morning:

Reaction Unit South Africa reported that a passing security vehicle had tried to chase the suspects’ vehicles but was fired upon.

“The victim’s handbag and phone were left at the scene. The Westville resident has not been seen or heard from since. Reaction Officers & SAPS members are following up on leads,” they said.

According to Captain Manqele, the suspects were wearing balaclavas.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that two suspects who were driving in a white BMW blocked the traffic on the M13 highway and started firing at a security vehicle that was travelling on the same road before fleeing the scene,” he said.

A case of attempted murder and kidnapping was then opened at Pinetown SAPS.