Taxi drivers on kidnapping rap

Mother’s relief after abducted kid found

TWO Duncan Village taxi drivers appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court this week on charges of kidnapping two small children.

The charges stem from an incident on August 30 when two young boys were kidnapped in Terminus Street. Daluxolo Phamehlo, 30, appeared in court yesterday while Zolani Sifumba appeared on Monday in connection with the kidnapping of Inam Gqobhoka 4, and Imibongo Ngwabeni, 5.

Phamehlo is the ex-boyfriend of Imibongo’s mother Bongeka Ngwabeni. He returns to court on Monday for a formal bail application, while Sifumba was released on R500 bail and is due back in court on September 26. Imibongo was playing with Inam, the son of Nokusasa Gqobhoka, a colleague and friend of Ngwabeni’s, just before 5pm outside their work premises that day.

“When we were about to knock off I went outside to collect them but I could not locate them,” she said.

“We searched around the building and nearby blocks but could not find them. It was only later a car guard told us that he saw the children being loaded into a small taxi.”

Ngwabeni and Gqobhoka rushed to Fleet Street police station to report the incident and police from the family violence and child protection unit and K-9 dog unit were sent to search for the boys in Duncan Village.

Gqobhoka said her son was found in Buffalo Street on Saturday afternoon after being dropped off by Sifumba.

“When [Phamehlo] heard police were on to him he decided to send my child to me using another taxi driver [Sifumba].”

Sifumba was subsequently arrested.

Imibongo was found in a Duncan Village shack on Wednesday afternoon after police received a tip-off.

“He was dirty, hungry and exhausted. I sobbed when Sergeant Lunga Dyasi arrived with him at my workplace, I could not believe he was still alive,” said Ngwabeni. She said she had a protection order against her ex-boyfriend at the time of the incident. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za