Durban — The kidnapping and robbery case against a 24-year-old man who also faces kidnapping and extortion charges in a separate matter is now in the trial court of the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
Sboniso Myeza, who is in custody after previously abandoning bail in Tuesday’s matter, had done the same in the case where he is charged with a co-accused, Ntuthuko Mbhense, with kidnapping and extortion.
On Tuesday, Myeza appeared alongside his 18-year-old girlfriend where it is alleged that in October last year in Mariannhill he assaulted a woman and, using force and violence, took her bank card, Sassa card, a cellphone and R2 000.
“At all material times and places the accused and other persons not before the court had a common purpose and acted together in order to achieve that purpose, namely to commit the offence,” alleged the State.
The woman is alleged to have been kidnapped by Myeza.
The accused are also alleged to have kept her against her will in a bush.
They also face two counts of extortion where it is alleged that they inspired fear in the mind of another woman by threatening to kill her if she didn’t pay R90.
She is alleged to have been kidnapped by Myeza.
It is alleged that a month after this, the accused inspired fear in the mind of a person known to the kidnapped woman by threatening to kill the woman if she did not pay R20 000 and by means of the said threat unlawfully obtained an advantage, not due to them, being the R20 000.
In May, Myeza abandoned his bail application, while bail was refused for the 18-year-old.
The matter against Myeza and his girlfriend was adjourned to September 14 for their legal aid attorney to be present.
Two weeks after this, Myeza is to be back in the dock alongside Mbhense in their kidnapping, robbery and extortion case in the bail court where they last appeared on August 17 and where Mbhense was denied bail.
In this matter, Mbhense and Myeza are alleged to have committed the offence in 2020 in Mariannhill.
It was alleged that the victim had responded to an advert on Facebook for a nanny job.
She was fetched in a car by three men which included Mbhense under the pretext they were taking her for an interview for the advertised job.
Further, it’s alleged that the woman was tied up and bound and held for a ransom that was demanded from her family.
The victim was allegedly kept tied up in a bush for one night where one accused raped her. She was allegedly taken to a house in Mariannhill where she was forcefully given drugs and raped again. Ransom of R2 000 was paid by her family.
Mbhense was arrested for this case while in the dock for a similar case where he is charged with kidnapping, extortion, robbery with aggravating circumstances and sexual assault.
He had been out on R3 000 bail when he was arrested after being pointed out by the victim while in the dock.
Daily News