{"id":14194,"date":"2026-01-09T23:32:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T23:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/14194\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T23:32:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T23:32:07","slug":"court-postpones-ethiopian-nationals-kidnapping-case-after-mulbarton-rescue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/14194\/","title":{"rendered":"Court postpones Ethiopian national&#8217;s kidnapping case after Mulbarton rescue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n\t\tA 47-year-old man faces 12 kidnapping charges after police rescued young adults found walking half-naked in Mulbarton.\n\t<\/p>\n<p>A 47-year-old Ethiopian national appeared in court on kidnapping charges after 12 half-naked young adults were spotted walking through Mulbarton, Johannesburg.<\/p>\n<p>Mantesnot Lendido Erisado appeared before the Booysens Magistrates\u2019 Court on Friday. He was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/news\/south-africa\/crime\/police-rescue-half-naked-teenagers-from-suspected-trafficker\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">initially accused of human trafficking<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Accused faces 12 kidnapping charges<\/p>\n<p>He faces 12 counts of kidnapping and one count of failing to stop when instructed to do so by the police.<\/p>\n<p>Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers were patrolling Mulbarton on Tuesday when they were alerted to a group of 10 half-naked teenage boys walking on foot on The Broads Street.<\/p>\n<p>JMPD officers questioned those involved further and established that the alleged victims were foreign nationals who could not speak English.<\/p>\n<p>During the investigation, officers also learned that Erisado had taken two other victims in a blue Volkswagen Jetta.<\/p>\n<p>ALSO READ: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/news\/parents-turn-perpetrators-in-child-abuse-cases\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Parents turn perpetrators in child abuse cases<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The JMPD, the South African Police Service (Saps) Mondeor, and the Hawks\u2019 Serious Organised Crime Investigation\u2019s Trafficking in Persons later intercepted the vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>However, Erisado fled the scene, resulting in a high-speed chase, which ended with his arrest on Commissioner Street in the Johannesburg CBD.<\/p>\n<p>The police subsequently rescued the 12 victims.<\/p>\n<p>Rescued victims not teenagers<\/p>\n<p>Erisado appeared in court, and according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the victims were Ethiopian nationals, aged between 20 and 30.<\/p>\n<p>The matter was postponed to 12 January to allow the accused to obtain legal representation and for the possible launch of a bail application.<\/p>\n<p>The court also postponed the case so that it can source an Amharic\u00a0interpreter.<\/p>\n<p>ALSO READ: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/news\/south-africa\/crime\/three-arrested-after-burgersfort-kidnapping-for-ransom\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Three arrested after Burgersfort kidnapping for ransom<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe NPA remains committed to prosecuting offences of this nature to protect vulnerable persons and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable,\u201d NPA regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.<\/p>\n<p>Ethiopian victims also appear in court<\/p>\n<p>After Erisado\u2019s appearance, the 12 victims also appeared in the same court on charges of being illegal in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said that the 12 young men\u2019s case was postponed to 15 January for possible guilty pleas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe medical assessment has since established that the 12 weren\u2019t necessarily teenagers as previously reported, but young adults between the ages of 22 and 33,\u201d Mogale said.<\/p>\n<p>Erisado and the 12 men were all remanded in custody.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A 47-year-old man faces 12 kidnapping charges after police rescued young adults found walking half-naked in Mulbarton. 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