Durban - Members from Public Order Policing (POP) arrested four men for kidnapping a woman in Bergville, at the foothills of the Drakensberg on Wednesday.

Colonel Thembeka Mbhele, police spokesperson, said POP were conducting crime prevention operations at the Emmaus turn-off on the R74 in Bergville when they stopped a silver Renault car.

“There were four men and one woman inside the vehicle. The woman,18, was sitting in the back seat, between two of the men. Police noticed that the woman was upset. All occupants were asked to step out of the vehicle and the woman was taken aside and interviewed. She reported to the police that on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, while visiting her sister at Maphumulo near Kranskop, she was approached by the suspects who forced her into their vehicle and brought her to Bergville in order to marry one of the suspects,” explained Mbhele.

She said men, aged 28, 37, 38 and 42, were charged with kidnapping and are due to appear in the Bergville Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. After the court appearance the docket will be sent to Maphumulo Police Station for further investigation.

Major General Bheki Langa, KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, commended the members for rescuing the woman.

“I thanked the members for their alertness that led to the arrest of the suspects. We cannot tolerate people who are allegedly kidnapping women with the intention of forcing them to marry these criminals. There is no place for ukuthwala (kidnapping) in our society anymore,” said Langa.

Daily News