In the three days that Anisah Moosa was held captive by kidnappers, she could not sleep or eat. Nor could she trust the food her abductors gave her as she was not sure it was Halaal.
Instead, the 35-year-old sipped energy drinks, and prayed continually.
She did not know where she was after they snatched her from outside her uncle’s house in Nirvana, Polokwane, last Tuesday, blindfolding her and forcing her into the back of a vehicle.
An hour later, they phoned her uncle demanding a R3 million ransom. Moosa is believed to have been the victim of a syndicate of kidnappers preying on wealthy, mostly Indian and Pakistani families, in Limpopo.
The Hawks have launched a manhunt for the gang.
Moosa, a Sars systems employee, remembers an over-whelming sense of fear.
“I was exceptionally afraid. They show you a kind side and then immediately get angry.
“You’re constantly trying to calm them down, telling them ‘you’ll get what you want, I just want to go home’.”
Moosa, a devout Muslim, was wearing a niqab - a veil worn by some Muslim women in public. Her abductors respected her faith.
“Not once did they ask me to remove my niqab. I prayed a lot for protection, for mercy to be placed in the hearts of the people that had abducted me.”
The ransom demands continued and there were several dry runs, in which the kidnappers did not turn up, ostensibly to ensure that the police were not on to them. Eventually, they settled for R2m.
The Hawks were brought in from Limpopo and Pretoria and a special task team agreed to a drop off on Thursday in Lebowakgomo. But when the VW Polo, with no registration, arrived, a shoot-out ensued.
The suspects ran into the bush, leaving their car and the ransom behind.
Moosa escaped.
She recalls how one of the kidnappers had held a gun to her head.
“I asked him, ‘please have mercy’. He moved the gun, then started shooting all around.”
Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee said there had been a number of abductions in Limpopo last month. In the latest, on Wednesday, an Indian national, his wife, and 23-year-old niece were hijacked in their car outside Tzaneen.
They were transferred to the same silver Audi A4 Moosa was driven in, which has not been recovered.
“They released the husband and gave him a cellphone,” said Abramjee.
“They said: ‘We’re going to call you. Get R1 million ready.’ The ransom calls started coming... he told them he could only afford R300 000. They were released a day later. Why they gave up, we’re not sure.”
Hawks spokesman Major Robert Nethiunda said a police manhunt was under way.
“We’re still searching for the suspects and we haven’t made any breakthrough yet. We believe it’s one and the same group. It’s six men but there could be more. We need to find them before they kidnap someone else.”
Abramjee said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they have contacts in law enforcement. There’s no doubt these guys are doing their homework and targeting people, especially of Indian and Pakistani origin.
“A lot of cases go unreported. Families pay and don’t want to report it to the police because they are scared.”
Sunday Tribune