Pretoria – An Atteridgeville man confirmed as one of the four arrested for the abduction and hijacking of Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Thabang Makwetla is on trial for the robbery of anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee's home.
The man, who cannot be named, is one of the two suspects on trial in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for the robbery in the Erasmia home of anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula on Thursday in Parliament confirmed the arrest of the four. Mbalula said one of the suspects was out on bail since February.
The four suspects will appear in the Garankuwa Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of kidnapping and hijacking.
Makwetla’s spokesperson Ntime Skhosana said the hijacking happened around 7.30pm outside the Life Riverfield Lodge, a clinic in Randburg.
Police said in a statement that Makwetla was driving his private vehicle to visit his parents.
Police said that as Makwetla entered the parking lot through the main gate, one of the security guards approached him to assist with directions. While they were talking three unknown males approached them and held them at gunpoint.
"The two security guards were forced into the back of the suspect’s vehicle and the deputy minister was forced to lie face down at the back of his own vehicle," police said.
They drove off with him to an unknown house and then then drove to an ATM and requested pin codes for his bank cards and withdrew an undisclosed amount of money.
After the withdrawal they travelled to the Madidi area in the North West in the early hours of Monday morning where they dropped him off and released the security guards from the boot. The vehicle sped off and the victims walked to the nearest police station for assistance.
A police task team followed up on reliable information and one of the suspects was arrested on Monday at about 6pm in the Garankuwa area, police said.
Three more suspects were later arrested in Atteridgeville, Montana and Chantelle, Orchards in Pretoria respectively. A firearm and a watch were recovered.