The men accused of luring gay men on Grindr only to rob them has appeared in court for a new case in Durbanville.
Bongani Zulu and Zwelakhe Ngwenya were charged while in custody for kidnapping, extortion and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
They were arrested on 14 June in Woodstock as they held a 50-year-old man hostage.
Their accomplice Mlungisi Vincent Mbutu was not charged in this matter.
State Prosecutor Luzaan Williams requested all matters be centralised as there are 6 cases all over Cape Town, including Woodstock, Claremont, Camps Bay and Durbanville.
Regarding the Durbanville case, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “It is alleged that the accused had been communicating with the complainant via the app. He was called and told to meet at a guest house.
“They then tied him up and demanded money from him. He called his employer who paid them about R3000 and he was released and able to identify them by photo identification. Their case has been postponed to 24 July for their lawyer to be present in court.”
He says on Friday the suspects will appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s court again for a new Camps Bay case.
Williams told the court the State will oppose bail as it is a Schedule 6 offence.
Their lawyer Nceba Jack indicated his clients will be applying for bail.
The State couldn’t provide the dates for the robberies but said the modus operandi in all the cases were the same - the accused allegedly lured unsuspecting gay men on Grindr before robbing, extorting and assaulting them.
An American tourist was reported to also have fallen for the online dating scam but has since left the country.