Police in South Africa have opened investigations into the disappearance of Durban based Zimbabwean businessman Evans Katumba, after his kidnappers failed to release him despite the payment of a R1.5m ransom.
Katumba, who reportedly relocated to South Africa a decade ago, was reportedly kidnapped by AK47 wielding assailants at a nightspot that he had recently brought on 24 March.
According to ZimLive, after Katumba’s disappearance last month, his kidnappers had demanded a R2,5 million ransom. His family and friends reportedly then put together 1,5 million, which they were supposed to drop just in Ballito, a coastal town near Durban.
However, while the drop was made, the kidnappers did not release Katumba as promised.
“They demanded that one person should bring the money, and that police should not be involved. The money was dropped at an open field on the outskirts of Ballito, about 45 minutes from Durban.
“The kidnappers said they would release him after an hour, but that was the last communication they made,” a friend said.
SA Police and crack unit, The Hawks, are now reportedly investigating the matter.
Katumba, a fuel station worker turned fuel supplier, was reportedly the target of an attempted hijacking in December. His plan to acquire Yugo, the nightclub from where he was snatched, is said to have put him in the crosshairs of some unsavoury characters in Durban.
