Durban - The family of Sandra Moonsamy said they were overjoyed that she is now reunited with them and beginning her road to recovery.
Moonsamy, a business woman who was kidnapped was found alive and unharmed, in a house in Gauteng on Friday night.
There were conflicting reports at the time of publishing exactly where she was found and the Daily News could not verify.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations(DPCI-Hawks) however confirmed she has been found and taken to hospital where she is recuperating.
Moonsamy, a Westville mother of two and financial manager at Crossmoor Transport Plant, was kidnapped at the corner of Stapleton Road and M13 on May 30 at the on-ramp in Pinetown.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said police officers noticed a black Range Rover with bullet holes on the driver’s side. Gwala said the driver was missing and her cellphone was found inside the vehicle.
Gwala said security guards that drove past that area were also shot at but no injuries were sustained. Charges of attempted murder and kidnapping were opened by Pinetown SAPS.
A source close to the case said that four people who were in the house with her at the time were arrested on Thursday night.
The source said although Moonsamy was unharmed, she was found chained in the house. Private Investigator Brad Nathanson said four Zimbabwean nationals were arrested.
Family spokesperson Keshia Patchiappen confirmed that she had been found.
The family issued a statement stating,"We are overjoyed to announce that Sandra was found on Thursday night and reunited with her family. She is currently with her loved ones and beginning her road to recovery. We will share further information as the investigation is concluded. We would like to thank the Hawks for their tireless efforts, as well as the general public for keeping Sandra in their thoughts and prayers daily. We are elated and relieved to have her back with us safely."
Since her kidnapping there had been no developments in the case until Jerry Ogbuwany Gike, 35, was arrested in July. He was found in possession of Moonsamy’s cell phone.
Gike, who is out on R5000 bail, will make his next court appearance on December 2.
In August the Moonsamy family had put up a R300 000 reward for her safe return home. On the Bring Sandra Moonsamy home Facebook page the family said they wanted her home safely and they were traumatised by the ordeal.
There had been various speculations as to where Moonsamy could have been and many ransom demands since her disappearance.
In June 2019, the Daily News had received an email titled Sandra Moonsamy ransom demands. If their demands for 26 Bitcoins were not met within hours of receiving the email they intended to carry out gruesome torturous acts on Moonsamy hourly. The contents of the email were graphic
Commenting on ransom demands being made from the alleged kidnappers Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, Hawks KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson, said a ransom email that was sent to the family is part of their investigation.