DURBAN - THE Durban High Court has heard how Sandra Munsamy’s brother negotiated with her kidnappers in an effort to get her released.
Munsamy was kidnapped on May 30, 2019, near Stapleton Road.
Lucas Ndlovu, 36, Dumisani Radebe, 39, Jose Omega Tembe, 38, and Arthur Da Silva Mondlane, 36, are on trial for her kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted extortion.
Two of the accused, Mondlane and Tembe are Mozambican nationals and are are facing charges of remaining in the country without a valid permit in contravention of the Immigration Act. All have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Testifying yesterday, Inderan Naicker told the court that after an initial WhatsApp call from the kidnapper, his friend managed to obtain the number that had been used by the kidnapper with the use of an online app.
“There was a number with the name ‘Musa Uber’ that Philips, a friend of mine gave me. I then purchased a phone, a Samsung, to create WhatsApp to communicate with the number.”
Naicker told the court that he tried to engage with the kidnappers in June but he did not get a response.
He said he later on received response from his sister.
“I asked her how she was and she said she’s okay, but I could hear from her voice that she wasn't. Then I asked her what do these guys want. I could hear her asking somebody and then she replied to me that they want $10 million (R152m),” said Naicker.
He then informed his sister that the amount demanded was not available, to which Munsamy replied that she had informed the kidnappers of this.
Naicker told the court that communication
between himself and the kidnappers had been frequent and he had tried to make the kidnappers reconsider the ransom amount, but they would not budge.
On August 21, 2019, he told the kidnappers that he would pay in instalments of R2m for five months, to make up R10m. But this was refused by the kidnappers some days later.
Naicker told the court that in September 2019, after multiple efforts to negotiate the ransom amount, the kidnappers would still not budge.
He said that the following month, the kidnappers said they would consider a payment of $8m at the least and that no exceptions would be made thereafter.
The kidnappers intensified their demands and issued threats by saying they had access to his whereabouts, his family, and the latest business acquisitions, he testified.
The court also learnt that the kidnappers initially wanted to kidnap the victim’s father, but later changed their minds because of his age.
Towards the end of the month of October, Naicker asked whether they would accept an amount of R30m.
“I was told to forget the R30m and I must get more money as he will beg the main bosses because he isn’t the main one,” said Naicker.
Naicker said that on November 4, 2019, he offered to pay R30m upfront and R2.5 million in two instalments thereafter.
He further stated that although this offer was not immediately accepted, he did however note a change in their demeanour, since the beginning of the interaction, because the kidnapper on the other end of the line said he would discuss the offer with his other acquaintances.
He said communication was minimal around the period of Munsamy’s rescue and after her rescue on November 7, he saw her the following morning.
“She was crying, very thin and she was very scared to be left alone for any time at all,” concluded Naicker.
The case was adjourned to today and the suspects were remanded in custody.
THE MERCURY