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Kidnapping
South AfricaMissing Vosloorus spaza shop owner Mazwi Kubheka found alive at police station
South AfricaPolice renew search for Joshlin Smith two years after disappearance- CrimeSAPS Sergeant and Wife Charged with KidnappingA Gauteng police sergeant and his wife have been charged with kidnapping and extorting a 23-year-old Swiss national in Johannesburg. Sergeant John Motladile, from Tarlton Police Station, and his wife, Yvonne, appeared briefly in Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. The charges stem from…August 14, 2025
- CrimeMissing Bloemfontein Teen Found AliveSOUTH AFRICA- In a dramatic rescue operation this morning, 19-year-old Bloemfontein teenager Kamogelo Baukudi was found alive in Wepener, Free State, more than three weeks after his kidnapping. Five men were arrested during the police operation, with authorities continuing to investigate the case…June 27, 2025
- Crime12 SANDF Soldiers Linked to Murder of Hawks Officer MathipaTwelve South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members have been arrested in connection with the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Ngwako Frans Mathipa, a senior Hawks investigator, in August 2023. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) announced a breakthrough in the case, with…June 23, 2025
- South Africa'You made our lives hell on earth' - grandmother confronts Joshlin's motherThe mother of a woman convicted of trafficking her six-year-old daughter has delivered a devastating victim impact statement, accusing her of destroying the family and refusing to take responsibility. Amanda Smith Daniels spoke directly to her daughter Kelly Smith in court on Wednesday, saying she…May 28, 2025
- South AfricaAmerican Pastor Rescued In Deadly Police Shootout In South AfricaSouth African police rescued American pastor Josh Sullivan following a deadly shootout that left three kidnappers dead in the Eastern Cape city of Gqeberha on Tuesday. Sullivan, 45, was kidnapped last week by armed men who stormed his church during a prayer service. The Hawks, South Africa's elite…April 16, 2025
- EntertainmentJoshlin Smith Trial: 'They Wanted Her Eyes and Skin'CAPE TOWN, South Africa – A witness has told a South African court that Kelly Smith, the mother of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, admitted knowing what happened to her daughter and claimed someone paid her to stay silent, as the trial continued on 17 March 2025. Laurentia Lombaard gave…March 17, 2025
- CrimeWitness Testifies Joshlin Smith was sold for R20,000CAPE TOWN- The Western Cape High Court heard harrowing testimony from formerly accused witness, Lourentia Lombaard, who detailed the alleged sale of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith for R20,000. The trial is held at the White City Multipurpose Centre in Diazville, Saldanha Bay. Lombaard…March 14, 2025
- CrimeTeacher: Joshlin's mother claimed child on boat to West AfricaCAPE TOWN- In a dramatic twist in the case of missing six-year-old Joshlin Smith, her class teacher, Edna Maart, has testified in the Western Cape High Court that the child’s mother, Kelly Smith, claimed Joshlin was being transported to West Africa by boat. Maart revealed that the day after…March 13, 2025
- CrimeZimbabwe Taxi Driver Convicted of Kidnapping Over Payment DisputeA Harare court has convicted Talent Mhembere, 33, of kidnapping after the inDrive taxi driver detained and drove off with a passenger who couldn't provide exact change for her fare. Faith Gwena, 28, testified that Mhembere locked her in his vehicle and sped away on November 19, 2023, when she…February 12, 2025
