UPDATED: Businessman kidnapped in Durban: A tale of survival
Durban businessman Appana Naidoo was abducted but he managed to escape from the clutches of his captors
Image: Reaction Unit SA
A 67-year-old businessman, Appana Naidoo, was discovered unharmed on Saturday morning after being kidnapped in the Cornubia area, north of Durban, on Friday.
Naidoo, the owner of Sam’s Ranch in Unit 17, Phoenix, was delivering alcoholic beverages when three armed men abducted him, forcing his employee out of his vehicle.
This harrowing incident shook the local community and has since unfolded into a remarkable tale of survival.
According to Prem Balram, spokesperson for Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), it was during the turmoil of his abduction that Naidoo found a window of opportunity to escape. While the assailants were distracted, Naidoo managed to flee into the nearby Ndwendwe area.
As he ran, the suspects fired several shots at him, but against all odds, Naidoo successfully eluded his captors and flagged down a passing Uber. This would ultimately lead him to safety at a local police station.
Balram said they were relieved that Naidoo was safely reunited with his family after the terrifying ordeal. “His family remained incredibly grateful to our unit for our swift actions during this crisis,” Balram said.
As authorities continue to investigate the incident, the circumstances surrounding Naidoo's abduction raised concerns about safety in the area and the prevalence of violent crime. Naidoo's Mitsubishi bakkie that was taken during the incident was still to be recovered.
In a separate incident that also occurred over the weekend, a mother, identified only as 'Sne', abandoned her two-year-old daughter (Hlelo) in the Verulam Central Business District on Friday.
The mother, who eventually returned on Sunday to collect her child, allegedly chose to journey to Hluhluwe with a new boyfriend to negotiate lobola, a traditional dowry custom, while Hlelo was left with vendors and promised to return later for the child.
When the mother failed to fetch the child promptly and did not respond to the multiple attempts made to contact her, the vendors placed the child in RUSA's care.
Balram said the mother had spoken to the vendors on several occasions during her previous shopping trips and was in the company of an unknown male in the latest instance. She left only some fruit and a packet of chips for the child to feed on. Upon her return, she was directed to the local police station, where her child was being kept.
At the time of publishing, it remained unclear whether she was permitted to take her child home and if there were any legal repercussions that would arise from her actions, as the SAPS did not respond to the Daily News' attempts.
DAILY NEWS