Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
‘Brazen money lenders behind kidnappings’
UNSCRUPULOUS money lenders owed a substantial debt may be behind the spike in kidnappings that have left police baffled, warn crime activists.
One week has passed since eightyearAbira Dekhta was kidnapped and her family are desperately waiting for any news. She is the latest victim in at least 200 kidnappings in recent months in the Western Cape. They involve mostly foreign nationals.
Abira is the daughter of cellphone businessman, Aslam Dekhta and his wife, Salama Dekhta, who live in Rylands and are originally from India.
The Grade 2 Rylands Primary School pupil had been sitting in the front seat of her school transport vehicle when she was abducted by two armed men on November 5 near Amber Court, metres from her home.
A crime activist, who assists police with kidnapping cases, said she believed money lenders were behind the kidnappings because they wanted outstanding debt settled by the victims’ family.
She said this may be the reason families also remained silent about the ransom demands that were paid in some cases. “There have been many cases where families have paid the money (ransom) and not said anything and they do not want to get the police involved.”
The crime fighter said this was a motive seen in other countries. “When they came into the country they have to take a loan from someone who has financial means and is (from) their culture. That person supplies them with the capital, for example, R1 million to start the business and to purchase their home and vehicles. They need to pay back the money in instalments. But when they cannot pay (then some is kidnapped) … that happens in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.”
A high-ranking police officer who cannot be identified and has more than 30 years of experience said the syndicate was growing and although payments were made, the kidnappers were never arrested. “Most of these families just want their family members back instead of contacting the police or even when the police assist in the payment procedure.
But what was strange for him was that police were involved in the payment of the ransom in a few cases and everything “goes quiet”.
“There were cameras, a police helicopter and a task force, but the kidnappers got away and how is that possible? Perhaps a case is being built by the police for future convictions.”
Crime activist Hanif Loonat, who also works closely with the police kidnapping cases and had been part of a recent panel on kidnappings in the province, said he had called for the motive of extortion to be probed when abductions became more prevalent.
“I raised this … It’s happening in the Bangladeshi, Somalian, Ethiopian and Chinese communities,” he explained.
“[Kidnapping] is done by their own fellow nationals and local gangsters.
“The areas targeted are Elsies [River], Bonteheuwel, Bishop Lavis, Mitchell’s Plain, Steenberg, Lavender Hill, Khayelitsha, Langa, Dunoon, Gugulethu, Nyanga Hanover Park, Manenberg, Delft and many other areas.
“A few of these foreign nationals were killed for not adhering to the demands. I raised this when I was the chairperson of the Mitchells Plain cluster. No one took me seriously.”
Residents in Abira’s area have claimed that the kidnappers had frequently been there before the abduction and were spotted in their white double cab Nissan.
The family has been anxiously waiting for a ransom call.
This week when the Weekend Argus visited Abira’s home, the family said they wouldn’t be talking to the media as they believed this might be the reason why the kidnappers hadn’t made contact.
Her uncle said they were all traumatised and didn’t know the motive.
Fowzia Veerasamy, chairperson of the Gatesville Neighbourhood Watch, said they had handed CCTV footage over to the police and that there were no fresh leads.
The South African Police Service said they were unable to comment due to the sensitivity of the case.