Zim kidnappers are in SA illegally

TWO of the Zimbabwean men accused of holding a woman and her baby hostage for ransom are in South Africa illegally while another has been convicted six times in the past.

The Randburg Magistrate's Court yesterday remanded the four in custody.

Wailer Ndlovu, Thulani Nyathi, Nkosinathi Nyathi and Emmanuel Sibanda were charged with kidnapping, extortion and child abuse after their arrest earlier this month.

The men allegedly kidnapped the woman and her eight-month-old baby because she could not pay them R1,800 for transport from Musina to Brits in North West. It is alleged that they had initially charged her R300 but later demanded R300. When she could not pay, they allegedly took her to a room in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, where they kept her and her child locked up for days.

Ndlovu and Thulani Nyathi applied for bail yesterday while Sibanda and Nkosinathi Nyathi could not because they had entered the country illegally.