Boy, 14, foils kidnap attempt

A FOURTEEN-year-old boy this week fought his way to freedom from two abductors who forced him into their vehicle in Hilton, outside Pietermaritzburg.

The Grade 9 pupil, who may not be named as he is a minor, was cycling when two men forced him into their car and threw a blanket over his face after asking him directions to Hilton College.

“I had no time to react. I said I have money and a bank card. They didn’t want anything. I told them that because I do competitive cycling. My bike is worth R150 000 but they didn’t want my bike.”

Luckily, the boy realised, as one of his captors was sitting on top of him, that a door was unlocked.

“I got my hand out enough (from the blanket) without him noticing, opened it and started screaming. I then punched him and moved myself out more, hoping people in passing cars would hear me shout ‘help! help!”

But his shouts were in vain. No cars stopped.

He said his abductors’ car was travelling slowly, at around 10km/h to 20km/h, when they threw him out.

“Then a nice, helpful guy stopped, took me to my bike and to the (Hilton) police station. I still had my phone on me and I just gave it to the man and he phoned my mom.”

His parents sped to the police station. The teen said the station was understaffed due to protests in nearby Sweetwaters, and it took an hour for the sole officer on duty to take down his statement.

He said he had no idea whether he was targeted for human trafficking or for a ransom.

However, he was well aware of human trafficking as his older sister, who had completed an internship in disaster management, told him about it.

“She told me how, in Durban, some people get shipped off to Nigeria. They drug them and then send them off for thousands of rands.

“Last year, she showed me a place, in Durban where someone was kidnapped.”

He said he had learnt how to be strong in all circumstances, whether mental or physical, when his father had suffered an illness and was hospitalised.

“That made me mentally stronger,” he said.

His competitive cycling had also taught him to “push through, even if my legs are tired. I often want to give up but I finish.”

He described his assailants as “likely South African and well-spoken”.

At the scene of the abduction, his mother said she had been in a meeting at work when her son’s rescuer called, saying her child had almost been kidnapped.

“I just thought… what’s going on? This is horrific… it’s so foreign to all of us and as a community it has affected us all.”

His mother called on all parents to be vigilant.

“There is so much more we can do in terms of cameras. We also pay so much in rates and there are no street lights.

“The reality is also that children have to walk to school.

“Families should speak together over supper, speak about what’s going on in the real world because we live in the real world,”she said.

She said the family had been for counselling.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Thembeka Mbele confirmed the incident and said a red VW Polo had been involved.

“A case of attempted kidnapping was opened at the Hilton Police Station for investigation. The motive for the kidnapping is still unknown.”

She advised parents not to let their children wander alone on the roads without supervision.