Durban mom breaks silence after being kidnapped, bound, and left in car boot
Montclair resident Carol Madondo spoke to Southlands Sun about the incident after Sfundo Mfuphi was sentenced.
Mfuphi (23) and his accomplice hijacked Madondo's car and kidnapped her in Woodlands, Montclair, in 2023. Mfuphi will spend the next 27 years in jail.
Madondo said she is still reeling from shock and told The Sun that the conviction brought a bit of relief for her.
'Justice has been served, but my prayer was always to see both of them face the punishment they deserve for what they did to me,' said Madondo.
The investigating officer stationed at Montclair Police Station, Sergeant Bhekumuzi Dlamini, said the other suspect is still at large.
Recalling the traumatic events, Madondo said that she was waiting outside a crèche when she saw two men approaching but never imagined she would become their next victim.
'These were young men I never thought could harm me. They demanded my car keys, and one of the suspects pointed a firearm at me while the other entered the car. At gunpoint they forced me into the vehicle and drove off. He covered my face with a cloth and made me lie on his lap.
'I kept praying to God, asking for help to escape safely. After a while, the car came to a stop. The driver was unable to shift gears, and that's when the other suspect jumped out to check the problem. I peeked through the cloth and saw a signboard that read 'uMlazi'. That's when I realised I was in uMlazi,' she said.
Cable ties used to bind her hands
The suspects bound her hands with cable ties and forcibly placed her in the boot of her car, leaving her terrified and helpless.
'The car wouldn't move, so they eventually abandoned it and took my purse, cash, and other personal belongings,' she said.
After the men fled the scene, Madondo struggled to move until she managed to open the boot.
'The boot wasn't properly closed, so I was able to push it open with my knees. When I finally got out of the car, I reached out to nearby houses for help. I called the crèche to inform them that I wouldn't be able to pick up the child due to what had happened to me. I also called my children at home, and they immediately came with a spare key. While still in uMlazi I contacted the police at Brighton Beach Police Station. However, the officers who arrived told me to file a report at Montclair Police Station since the incident didn't occur within their jurisdiction,' she added.
She said the most traumatic part was being asked to identify the suspect during an identification parade.
'I am still haunted by nightmares when I think about what happened to me. Driving remains a challenge, as I no longer trust people following me on the road. It feels as though there are individuals out there who want to harm me,' she added.
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