Watch: Dozens of Ethiopians escape alleged hostage house in Johannesburg
About 60 Ethiopians allegedly held hostage for months have escaped, with some injured in their rush to flee.
A dramatic breakout unfolded on Monday at a house on Aberdeen Street in Westdene, Johannesburg, after dozens of Ethiopian nationals, allegedly held hostage for more than two months, escaped and scattered through the suburb.
According to Northcliff Melville Times, Tau Security area manager JP le Roux says approximately 60 people were believed to have been confined at the property. The group broke free, jumping over the perimeter wall and fleeing in multiple directions.
Security alerted to escape
“We were on a street group when reports came through that people were jumping out of this house,” Le Roux says. “One of my reaction guys responded, I responded myself, and we found these Ethiopian guys jumping out of the house.”
Tau Security and other responding companies managed to detain and assist between 28 and 30 people. “We managed to get about 30. All the other ones ran in different directions,” Le Roux said. At the time, only about 15 were believed to still be unaccounted for.
Allegations of hostage situation
One of the escapees, who could speak limited English, told security officers the group had been held inside the house for more than two months. The motive is believed to be ransom, though this could not be confirmed.
“They said they were kept hostage. If it was for ransom, I don’t know. They can’t speak English properly,” Le Roux said.
Injuries and unanswered questions
During the chaos, some of the escapees were injured as they jumped over the wall and damaged the property’s perimeter fence. Le Roux also reported seeing a red car chasing some of the fleeing individuals, though the driver and registration number are unknown.
Security officers later checked the house and found it locked. The ownership of the property remains unclear.
“We do not know the owner of the property,” Le Roux said.
Police response
SAPS responded to the scene and all recovered victims were taken to Sophiatown Police Station for further processing. Northcliff Melville Times approached Sophiatown SAPS for comment and they stated that they will revert to the journalist once more information is received.
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