Maggie Skosana, the manager of the Nkangala District Municipality, and Gugu Mtsweni, her chauffeur, were recovered alive in Diepsloot, Gauteng, on Thursday, a week after they vanished after being attacked as they approached the council’s facilities.
Colonel Donald Mdhluli, a spokesperson for the Mpumalanga police, stated that the two were discovered after reportedly being abandoned by their attackers.
“According to reports, both were left by their attackers in the bushes near the N14 road in Diepsloot. Supposedly, the driver was tied down with rope, but she managed to make her way to the road, where a taxi driver spotted her as she sought assistance. She then repeated the incident to the taxi driver, who promptly called the police.
“The cops then accompanied them to the bushes where they discovered the municipal manager. After reporting to the Diepsloot police station, the two victims were transported to the hospital and eventually reunited with their families in the early hours of Thursday, October 27, 2022, according to Mdhluli.
The perpetrators remain at large.
This development represents a breakthrough in the Middleburg kidnapping, which began a week ago on Thursday, October 20, 2022.
According to the information Mdhluli has received, the victims were attacked at the municipality’s entrance before they could enter.
According to reports, the culprits stopped the victims in a white vehicle.
According to him, the vehicles of the victims and the suspects were observed traveling in tandem in the same direction.
Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, swiftly mobilized resources and constituted an investigation team comprised of experts in the field of inquiry to ensure that the two victims are returned safe and sound.
She reported that the victims’ vehicle was retrieved the following day, abandoned in one of Middelburg’s nearby mines.
“A wheelchair and other items belonging to the victims were also retrieved alongside the abandoned vehicle. However, no trace of the victims could be found… Since the news of the kidnapping surfaced, the crew has worked nonstop and endured restless nights. The investigation was aided by the cooperation between police in Mpumalanga and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) in Gauteng.”
Manamela has thanked all members of the Gauteng DPCI and Mpumalanga, as well as the taxi driver who responded as a good Samaritan when he saw the Municipal Manager’s driver pleading for assistance on the road.
The General thanked everyone who assisted in the investigation, as well as the whole Police Management and the Office of the Premier in Mpumalanga for their support. The General extended his gratitude to the people for their contribution.