Vusi Nova survives hijacking

Musician and friend kidnapped outside Melville home

“WE’RE going to take you guys to the bush and kill you. Keep your head down. Where is the Tracker?”, the hijackers threatened Afropop musician Vusi Nova.

But all he wanted was for the armed criminals to let 20-yearold Sihle Mdaka out of the car.

“I told them that he has nothing to offer them. Sihle was hysterical. I asked them to let him go. So they stopped the car and let him out in Langlaagte. He was practically naked.”

Nova, whose real name is Vusi Nongxo, was accosted by armed men outside his Melville home yesterday.

Mdaka is a young singer from the group 047. The three-member group had recently arrived from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and had performed at the album launch of fellow artist, Ntando Bangani.

Nova had been mentoring the youngsters.

Nova was later released in Soweto after the hijackers forced him to strip down to his underwear. Police are investi- gating a case of hijacking and kidnapping.

Nova said yesterday he felt “quite traumatised”.

“It’s been a crazy 24 hours. We were supporting Ntando at his launch and then later we had to deal with the realities of what is happening in our country.

“This is happening all the time and I feel for all those who go through this and don’t have a voice to speak out against these acts. I really hope these criminals will be brought to book,” he said.

Bangani rushed to Nova’s home yesterday after he had been found.

“A few hours ago I was at the launch with him, next thing I know he’s been hijacked. Thank God he’s safe,” he said outside the artist’s house.

“It makes me feel very bad because I’ve also been hijacked once and it’s a very traumatic experience. It’s not something you get over easily.

“Our criminals are too free these days. You work hard and people can just do what they want, when they want. This is not the way we should live,” Bangani said.

PICTURE: SUPPLIED Musician Vusi Nova feels traumatised after his ordeal.