PIETERMARITZBURG - The Salvation Army says 12 days spent investigating the alleged kidnapping of a KwaThema woman could have been used to investigate genuine criminal cases.
Margaret Stafford, from the organisation’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Response, warned that false criminal claims waste valuable police resources and can undermine genuine victims.
A 37-year-old woman and her alleged accomplice were arrested for allegedly staging the kidnapping. The woman was reported missing by her family on 7 October, amid the discovery of women’s bodies in various parts of Ekurhuleni.
READ: KwaThema woman arrested for allegedly staging her own kidnapping
Her alleged captors demanded R40,000 for her safe return. Her family also received threatening messages and a video showing her naked and injured, pleading with her mother for help.
The woman was dropped off near a cemetery on 10 October. Investigations subsequently raised suspicions that the kidnapping had been staged.
“A lot of people suddenly become involved and a lot of investigation hours are poured into it,” Stafford said.
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“If you consider all of those hours, we are talking an incredible waste of very important resources that are available,” she added.
Stafford warned that such incidents could undermine people who report genuine crimes, as their cases may face increased scrutiny.
The case has drawn comparisons with allegations surrounding North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, who claimed in November 2025 that he had survived an assassination attempt in Vosloorus on the East Rand.
Mogotsi alleged that his vehicle had been surrounded and shot at. Subsequent reports raised questions about his account, including allegations that the incident had been staged.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi has warned the public against making false reports, which can divert resources from genuine criminal investigations.
The woman and her alleged accomplice are expected to appear in the Springs Magistrate’s Court on charges of defeating the ends of justice, extortion and staging a crime scene