JOHANNESBURG – Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a businessman in Middelburg nearly six weeks ago.
The businessman was allegedly kidnapped by armed men travelling in three vehicles and carrying high-calibre firearms, including AK-47 rifles and pistols.
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According to CPS Security, an extensive investigation and intelligence-driven operation led to the arrests. The operation involved the Mpumalanga Anti-Hijacking Unit, CPS Security, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Crime Intelligence Unit (EMPD CLU), EMPD SWAT and Crime Intelligence.
“The first suspect was successfully apprehended in the Brackendowns area. Further intelligence then led to a second suspect being traced and arrested in the Pretoria area after information was circulated to Pretoria Central SAPS,” said CPS Security.
Two vehicles allegedly used during the kidnapping were seized, along with one firearm. The suspects are undergoing further questioning as investigations continue.
The arrests come amid growing concern over the rise in kidnapping cases across Mpumalanga.
According to fourth-quarter crime statistics, Mpumalanga recorded 64 kidnapping cases during the reporting period.
In April, three bodies were found burnt beyond recognition after the victims were kidnapped in Mbombela on April 14. A 29-year-old man was taken in for questioning in connection with the kidnapping and murders.
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In another incident in May, a man was shot and left for dead along Luphisa Road after he was allegedly kidnapped on May 12 while responding to a call to install CCTV cameras at a school in Pienaar. The suspects reportedly accused him of stealing a laptop before shooting him multiple times.
Also in April, father and son Fredy and Gift Mkhomazi were found dead after they were kidnapped in Sudwala on April 14.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga has raised concern over the increasing number of kidnappings in the province, saying the trend requires urgent intervention.
“We call on the police in Mpumalanga to urgently establish a specialised kidnapping investigative unit to respond swiftly to cases, which appear to be increasing across the province,” the party said.
The DA said the recent kidnapping of a Middelburg businessman should not be dismissed as an isolated incident, particularly as Mpumalanga recorded one of the highest increases in kidnapping cases during the first three months of 2026.
According to the party, fourth-quarter crime statistics show that ransom was demanded in nine of the 64 kidnapping cases recorded in the province, while other incidents were linked to alleged human trafficking, assassinations, taxi violence, protection-fee disputes and extortion linked to the construction sector.
“The DA is concerned that Mpumalanga may be dealing with less sophisticated copycat kidnapping groups seeking quick ransom payments, as many of the kidnapping cases reported across the province in recent years have involved children and women from working-class families,” said DA Mpumalanga spokesperson Bosman Grobler.
