Disturbing security footage circulating on social media has captured the moment a businessman in Gqeberha was kidnapped in broad daylight, the latest in a string of abductions believed to be linked to a kidnapping syndicate operating in the Eastern Cape.
Gqeberha businessman kidnapped in broad daylight
The incident occurred on Friday, 9 May 2025, just before 10:00 outside a warehouse on Darling Street in the North End area.
In the footage, the businessman, driving a white BMW, pulls up beside a white Hyundai pickup truck. Moments later, a silver VW Polo pulls in behind him, effectively boxing him in.
What happens next is a brazen and violent attack that played out in full view of the public.
A man dressed in an orange construction jacket and blue pants, carrying a backpack and what appears to be a gun, rushes up to the driver’s side and smashes the window.
The businessman attempts to reverse and escape but is too late — two more suspects jump out of the Polo with firearms and surround him.
Despite a strong attempt to resist, including locking himself in the vehicle, the businessman is outnumbered. A fourth suspect, also in construction attire, assists the others in opening the door.
They drag the businessman from the car while he visibly struggles and is possibly heard calling for help. At one point, two employees from the warehouse — including a woman — try to intervene but retreat when they see the weapons.
Three suspects speed off in the Polo with the victim, while the fourth drives away in the BMW.
Police have since confirmed the incident. According to Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge:
“A 44-year-old male shop owner was kidnapped by a group of about five men. He was forced into a blue VW Polo, and his BMW was also driven away by one of the suspects. A kidnapping case is being investigated by SAPS Mount Road.”
This is not an isolated incident. On 24 March 2025, a teacher at Happydale Special School in Algoa Park was kidnapped in similar fashion — also caught on CCTV. In that case, three armed men in a white Toyota Corolla forced the teacher into their vehicle and fired two shots before fleeing.
Watch the footage below:
While police have not officially linked the cases, the nature of the crimes — daylight attacks using multiple vehicles and armed assailants — suggests a coordinated kidnapping ring may be operating across the province. Victims are often people seen as wealthy or influential.
Though ransom demands are not always immediate, police sources say such cases are becoming more frequent and brazen. Authorities in the Eastern Cape are now working with national intelligence to determine if these abductions are part of a larger criminal network.
Police are urging anyone with information to come forward. In the meantime, residents are being advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately.
The Eastern Cape’s kidnapping crisis appears to be far from over.
