R50 000 ransom call, then police find the 'victim' safe at a homestead
Limpopo police have charged a 43-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman with extortion, perjury and defeating the ends of justice after an alleged kidnapping in Senwabarwana unravelled.
Two people, aged 43 and 28, have been charged with extortion, perjury and defeating or obstructing the course of justice after an alleged kidnapping reported in Senwabarwana, in Limpopo’s Capricorn District, according to the South African Police Service.
The case began when the woman’s relatives reportedly received a call from an unknown person demanding R50 000 and threatening to kill her before 08:00 if the money was not paid.
On Saturday, 17 October 2026, members of Limpopo Organised Crime Investigations, National Crime Intelligence for Kidnappings and Hillbrow Detectives ran an intelligence-driven operation in Gauteng in connection with the report. Investigators traced and arrested the 43-year-old man, who SAPS describes as the alleged victim’s boyfriend.
He reportedly told police he had taken the 28-year-old woman to his family homestead in Jane Furse, in Sekhukhune District. Police went to the homestead and found her there. She appeared to be in good condition, had no visible injuries and raised no complaints.
Further investigation raised suspicions that the reported kidnapping may have been fabricated and that police may have been deliberately misled. The man had allegedly made a statement under oath that he did not know the woman’s whereabouts, which is the basis of the perjury charge.
Both suspects were taken to Senwabarwana police station, where a case was opened. They are expected to appear before the Senwabarwana Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 19 October 2026.
The Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Petrus Scheepers, said police resources are limited and must go to genuine cases that threaten community safety. “Deliberately misleading the police, making false statements under oath and demanding money through threats are serious matters that may result in criminal prosecution,” he said. He urged the public to give truthful information and not to abuse the criminal justice system.
The account above is drawn from the SAPS media statement issued by Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba of the Office of the Provincial Commissioner, Limpopo. The charges have been laid and not yet tested in court. The source statement is available at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=71944.
