Western Cape police and Kensington Community Police Forum have confirmed that six-year-old Shanawaaz Asghar has been found, safe and reunited with his family in Kensington on Thursday night.
The Grade R Hidayatul Primary school pupil was snatched in the driveway of his home by six men and forced into a silver VW polo just before 8.00 am on Wednesday morning
Also read: Six-year-old kidnapped outside home in Kensington, Cape Town
In a Facebook post, Chairperson of Kensington CPF Cheslyn Steenberg confirmed Asghar’s safe return and urged the community to continue their involvement in assisting with community policing.
“We can only thank the almighty for the safe return of Shanawaaz. I would like to thank everyone involved in this regard, it is appreciated. Now we have more work to do. Communities must do more to help community policing – working with the law enforcement agencies and not taking a step back. We all have a part to play in the quest for a safer Kensington and Factreton, let us stand up and take back our community from criminals.”
According to News 24, family spokesperson and Chairperson of the Hidayatul Islam Primary School governing body, Dawood Essack, said Asghar is “both mentally and physically fine.”
Two getaway cars were identified fleeing the scene with the six men – three of which were reportedly armed. It is unclear whether any arrests have been made at this point.
Police have yet to release any further details.
EWN reports that before the overnight breakthrough, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that the South African Police Service had a task team to deal specifically with kidnappings.
“A team has been created. It’s being led by the general from Crime Intelligence. It has had a lot of successes nationally, including here in the Western Cape. We have had successes, several of them. Some of the families, after the success, don’t want these things to be announced,” Cele said.
However, both EWN and IOL report that kidnappings have been on an alarming rise across the country.
National coordinator for Missing Children South Africa, Bianca van Aswegen, says incidents of opportunistic kidnapping are escalating “daily” in South Africa.
She also says there has been a rise in kidnappings for ransom and human trafficking since the national lockdown in 2020 due to poverty and job loss.
Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagen Allen said the fourth quarter crime statistics showed that kidnappings have increased by 16 more cases or 8.3% when compared to the same period of the previous year.
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Picture: Facebook