Two men have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a Chinese shop manager in Shakaskraal last Thursday.

A group of robbers hit the CD Cash and Carry Supermarket and fled with R4 500 and two cell phones, abducting the store manager on their way out.

Police reacted swiftly and arrested the two men later that day in the Uganda area of Isipingo and found the kidnapped manager in Umlazi.

The accused made their first court appearance on Monday and are set to return next Monday for a formal bail application in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court.

This case follows the high-profile kidnapping of KwaDukuza businessman Zakariya Desai in September. Desai was abducted outside a mosque in KwaDukuza and despite widespread investigations, the 47-year-old affiliate of the Desai’s Cash and Carry family business remains missing.

His kidnapping captured national attention after CCTV footage of the incident went viral. The video shows a silver VW Polo fleeing the scene and it is alleged that shots were fired at bystanders who attempted to intervene. Reports suggest the Desai family received ransom demands following his abduction.

Three individuals, including two Mozambican nationals and a police officer, were arrested in connection with Desai’s disappearance.

They have since appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court.

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