Kidnapped journalist, partner: Family believes motive could involve their taxi business
Their loved ones claimed the alleged mastermind wanted to gain ownership of the vehicle.
The alleged mastermind worked as a taxi driver for the couple.
The families of the kidnapped journalist, Sibusiso Aserie Ndlovu, and his partner, Zodwa Mdhluli, believe their disappearance could be linked to their family taxi business.
The couple's son, Treasure Mdhluli, told News24 that Samuel Mogongwe, 41, allegedly wanted to steal the family's sedan vehicle and operate it as a taxi in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga, where the couple lives.
Mogongwe was employed as the family's taxi driver.
According to police commissioner Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola, Mogongwe is the alleged mastermind behind the couple's disappearance and was the last person seen with them.
After his parents disappeared on 18 February, Treasure contacted Mogongwe because he was allegedly the last person seen with them.
Treasure said:
We met on 27 February. He was driving our family taxi. He pretended that he was assisting me and the police with their investigations to find my parents.
'He showed me the certified copy of my mother's identity document and papers of the taxi.'
Treasure added that Mogongwe allegedly told him that the taxi belonged to him because his parents owed him money.
'I took those documents from him because he was lying.' Treasure claimed his parents were kidnapped and robbed because Mogongwe wanted to gain ownership of their vehicle, something that police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said they were also probing.
Mogongwe, Lucky Michael Sikhosana, 40, and three others, including a teenager, were arrested on Sunday for allegedly kidnapping the couple.
Sikhosana was found in possession of some of the stolen assets belonging to the couple.
The five accused were found in possession of stolen furniture, appliances and parts belonging to the couple's VW Golf.
Police later seized two VW Golf vehicles, which were fitted with some of the parts from the couple's stripped car.
Masemola added that they were confident they had arrested the right people linked to the offence.
READ | Four arrested in connection with missing journalist Aserie Ndlovu, partner
'Some of them [accused] are prepared to assist us with our investigations. We are following leads leading us to where the victims are. The five suspects have since separately appeared in court.'
Masemola also revealed that Mogongwe initially pretended to be a State witness when the police started probing the case.
Mogongwe was arrested after he was allegedly linked to the kidnapping through cellphone records.
Police are also probing charges of house robbery, possession of suspected stolen property and possession of drugs.
The chairman of the African Media and Communicators Forum, Elijah Mhlanga, was confident that the police's investigations were moving in the right direction.
Mhlanga said they were monitoring the case.
'We are with the family throughout their pain. The police have told us to prepare for anything,' Mhlanga said.
Mogongwe and Sikhosana appeared briefly in the KwaMhlanga Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, facing two counts of kidnapping.
Mogongwe and Sikhosana are expected back in the dock on Friday.
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