Details surrounding the kidnapping of little Abira Dekhta stunned the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday when it was revealed that her snatchers demanded R20 million in ransom and threatened to sell her on the dark web.
The young girl was snatched while sitting in her school transport vehicle parked at Amber Court in Gatesville on 4 November.
According to the State’s case, five men using two vehicles had followed her driver and sped off with her in a white Nissan bakkie.
More than a week later, cops called her father, Aslam, and informed him that they found the meisie in a shack in Khayelitsha following a tip-off.
During court proceedings the main accused, Mawande Jobovu, ditched his bail application along with Sonwabo Malumbozo and Kwanele Jilaji, while the remaining accused Luxolo Mosiza, Sithembiso Qwaka and Adwiore Magura continued their bid for freedom.
Magistrate Goolam Bawa also ruled that the accused may now be identified in public as the identity parades were completed.
Addressing the court, the State prosecutor dropped several bombshells.
He explained that the group faced a slew of charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca) for the period between 4 November and 14 November 2022.
He stated that after Abira was taken from Gatesville, she was first taken to two unknown locations and later the shack in Khayelitsha where cops rescued her.
He then shocked the court when he said the accused were allegedly guilty of attempted extortion.
“The accused are charged with attempted extortion. In the period between 4 November 2022 and 14 November 2022, there were 26 calls placed to Aslam Dekhta where they tried to extort R20 million and threatened to place the child on the dark web.”
Mosiza took the stand in his own defence and said on the day of the arrest, he was merely visiting Magura.
He claimed that he had gone to visit a high school friend and then stopped at Magura’s shack but that the latter was not there.
He said there were three men in the house and he waited for Magura to return but cops pounced on the house and forced them to lay on the floor and tied them up with cable ties.
Mosiza said it was only when cops entered one of the rooms that he saw the little meisie while cops questioned her.
He said after being taken to Bellville SAPS, he informed officers that he was only visiting the shack and told cops he knows nothing about the kidnapping.
The bail hearings continue today.
Outside court, dad Aslam said he is relieved that the alleged kidnappers can finally be identified, as this would make parents everywhere happy.
“Everyone needs to know who these people are exactly.
“Whose not gonna be happy with this? My child is everybody else’s child.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za