Johannesburg - The boyfriend of a pregnant Vosloorus woman, feared kidnapped for her baby, days before her due date, has shared harrowing details of taunts from her alleged abductors.
For over a week, the family of missing Mbalenhle Mvungande, 22, have been scouring Ekurhuleni in search of her after she failed to meet her boyfriend and father of her unborn baby, Ntokozo Ntshangase, 25, for an appointment with a local prophet.
Ntshangase said Mvungande, his girlfriend of two years, was last seen by her family on Tuesday last week.
She allegedly left the house after receiving numerous calls from a Nonhlanhla, who was unknown to the family.
Her family on Wednesday said they had been advised not to speak to the media.
Speaking to The Star on Wednesday, a sobbing Ntshangase gave details of how he was taunted on Monday by his girlfriend’s kidnappers, using her cellphone. The abductors sent him chilling messages, telling him that Mvungande was fine and they just wanted the baby. Police had since confiscated his two cellphones.
Vosloorus police spokesperson Captain Piet Rossouw confirmed that the police were investigating a kidnapping case.
“On Friday we opened a missing person’s report but on Monday messages were being sent from her cellphone to the unborn baby’s father. And due to that, we opened a kidnapping case,” he said.
Investigations were at a sensitive and advanced stage.
“We are certain we’ll make a breakthrough soon,” Rossouw added.
Picture: Twitter
“I was at home with my friend and sister when I received a picture of her from her WhatsApp number. In the picture she is gagged,” Ntshangase said, struggling to maintain his composure.
The picture was accompanied by a message asking: “Is this your baby mama?”
“I said yes and asked who I was speaking to. There was no response. The next message said: ‘She is safe, we only wanted the little one.’ They offered to show me ‘a picture of daddy’s little princess’. They sent a picture but you could tell that it was taken off the internet. My friend and I rushed to her home and from there we went to the police station,” Ntshangase said.
Her family had reported her missing on Friday after she went missing on Tuesday morning.
“I last saw her on Sunday when I gave her R70 to go to the clinic for a check-up on Monday. She went and we spoke on WhatsApp later (on Monday), telling me that all was clear. She told me she’d be returning to the clinic and probably go to the hospital on Friday (possibly to deliver the baby),” he said.
The couple were meant to meet at the prophet’s place on the day she went missing, but she never pitched up. He then proceeded to check on her at home but was told she had left the house earlier.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made to find her for the rest of the week before the family finally decided to report her missing on Friday.
“My biggest concern was that she was due (to give birth). I asked my sister to accompany me to go check if she had been admitted at any of the hospitals. We went to Thelle Mogoerane Hospital. We searched the labour wards but there was no sign of her. We then hired a bakkie for R100 and went to BBH (Tambo Memorial Hospital), but there was still no sign of her,” Ntshangase said.
That was until he received the taunting WhatsApp messages on Monday evening.
“Her number was online for about two hours that night but it went to voicemail whenever we tried to call. The very same picture of her that was sent to me was also sent to her younger sister, but this time it was from about four different angles.
“They told her they had gotten what they wanted and would let Mbali go and she would find her way back to you guys. If she gets to you, she does. If she doesn’t, then she doesn’t. I’m worried sick. All of this hurts,” he said.
“This is my daughter. My first child. I was eagerly awaiting her, and this happens. For someone to say ‘we only wanted the little one’, it breaks my heart. My spirit is down, I don’t know what to say.”
@Sihle_MG