The Western Cape High Court has ordered the forfeiture of R89 000 in cash linked to a violent kidnapping and extortion case involving a Stellenbosch University student, in what prosecutors say is part of ongoing efforts to ensure crime does not pay.
The order was granted following an application by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority after the arrest of two Zimbabwean nationals, Truth Mambemba and Takudzwa Chauruka.
The pair face multiple charges, including kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, extortion, illegal possession of a firearm and contravening immigration laws.
Night out turns into a nightmare ordeal
According to court papers, the incident began late on the night of 2 October 2024 when a 20-year-old student went out with friends to a nightclub near Stellenbosch.
After the club closed in the early hours of the morning, she began walking back to her university residence. She later recalled finding herself inside a vehicle with two unknown men, one driving and another seated in the back.
The men allegedly drove her onto a highway, where she was threatened with a firearm and attacked. They then forced her to unlock her cellphone and record a video message to her parents claiming she had been kidnapped and urgently needed money.
When her parents did not immediately respond, the suspects allegedly phoned them directly using her phone and demanded payment. After rejecting an initial offer, the parents transferred R200 000 into their daughter’s bank account, which was subsequently withdrawn at various ATMs.
The suspects later ordered an e-hailing taxi for the student and gave her money for the fare.
Police track suspects
Later that morning, police received information about the kidnapping and began tracing cellphone activity and bank withdrawals. Investigators linked transactions to an ATM in Stanford and reviewed CCTV footage from a filling station in Kuils River, where a man was seen withdrawing cash from two ATMs using the victim’s card.
Police circulated the registration details of a German sedan captured on camera through a licence plate recognition system.
That afternoon, officers spotted the vehicle travelling along the N2 near Groot Brakrivier towards George and pulled it over. Inside, they found the two suspects, along with R89 000 in cash, the student’s cellphone and her bank card.
The men claimed the money came from an e-hailing taxi business, but police later established they were not registered operators.
Arrests and asset seizure
The suspects were arrested and remain in custody at Pollsmoor Prison after their bail application was denied in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court. The criminal case is scheduled to return to court on 3 March 2026.
Prosecutors had already secured a preservation order for the seized cash in September 2025. On 12 February 2026, the High Court granted a final forfeiture order, allowing the state to confiscate the funds permanently.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Nicolette Bell welcomed the ruling, saying asset forfeiture is a key strategy used by the National Prosecuting Authority to strip criminals of the proceeds of crime and reinforce accountability beyond criminal prosecution.
