A DURBAN businessman who was kidnapped by robbers and taken away in his own vehicle in September 2018, but rescued minutes later through the quick response from police, continues to have flashbacks.
This week, Mahmood Kader got some satisfaction when the kingpin behind the ordeal was jailed.
Cebolihle Dube, 27, was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment by magistrate Hein Visagie at the Durban Regional Court on Thursday.
Kader, who was satisfied, said: “The incident made me paranoid and I become suspicious of unknown cars and strangers.
“I’m always wary of being ambushed. Out of fear, I downgraded the car I drive and improved security at home.
“There’s hardly a day I don’t recall the incident.”
Dube together with Ayanda Mnguni and Senzo Sosibo, all armed with firearms, gained entry into Kader’s Asherville home on September 3, 2018, and forced him into his Audi S3.
While making their getaway in the Audi, Dube accessed Kader’s bank account via his cellphone and processed a cardless withdrawal.
Dube was about to increase the account withdrawal limit when the vehicle crashed into a boundary wall in Lamontville.
Police immediately arrested Dube, Mnguni and Sosibo.
Mnguni and Sosibo pleaded guilty to the various charges against them from the Kader incident, which included robbery and kidnapping, and were sentenced to an effective 10 years’ imprisonment each.
Mnguni was also sentenced to a further 46 years of jail time for his involvement in various other robberies, including his escape from lawful custody after he was arrested for a matter before the Kader incident.
On that occasion, Mnguni was among robbers who abducted a victim, similar to Kader’s kidnapping.
While making a getaway in the victim's vehicle, it crashed. Mnguni was shot and injured by police as he attempted to flee and was hospitalised.
He managed to slip out of the handcuff that kept him bound to his hospital bed and escaped.
After six months on the run, Mnguni was arrested in Kader’s matter.
During Dube’s trial, he called Mnguni and Sosibo as witnesses to support his version that he was not involved in Kader’s abduction and that he was not known to both witnesses.
Surekha Marimuthu, the State prosecutor, challenged his version.
Marimuthu said that CCTV cameras at Kader’s home recorded Dube at the scene. He was arrested by two policemen as he and the others climbed out of the crashed Audi.
Kader also immediately identified the three men responsible for his kidnapping.
Before sentencing, Marimuthu said Kader would have wondered about ever returning home, was held at gunpoint, could have been fatally injured during the high-speed chase and relived that experience when testifying.
Magistrate Visagie viewed Kader’s kidnapping as being premeditated, brazen and a traumatic experience.
Dube received 10 years’ imprisonment for the robbery, five years for kidnapping, 10 years for the illegal possession of a firearm (count 5) and one year for unlawfully possessing ammunition (count 6).
Visagie ordered three years of the kidnapping sentence to run concurrently with the robbery term and that count 6 run concurrently with count 5.
Kader said he couldn't understand Dube’s denial of involvement.
“He was the easiest to identify because he didn’t wear a face mask and spoke the most.
“I don’t know him and have no reason to want him jailed.”
On the day of the incident, Kader was driving to work around 8am when he realised his keys were at home and made a U-turn.
He parked in his driveway and attempted to enter his home when Mnguni barged into his yard and pointed a firearm at him.
“I raised my hands in surrender. Dube grabbed my keys and phone and shoved me into my car.
“While travelling, I was fearful and thought about my family and prayed they called the car tracking company.
“I also helped Dube access my banking app.”
Kader said he didn’t know police were in pursuit until a shot was fired.
“I was worried I would also be shot and held my head and prayed. The gang trembled and the driver lost control of the car.”
Kader said he owed his life to the two arresting officers, Constable Siphelele Cele and Sergeant Sithembile Mantiyan.
His domestic worker saw him being abducted and told his wife, who alerted the tracking company. She was at home with his father and their infant child.
Although he received threats before testifying, he went ahead because he realised it was the right thing to do.
He encouraged victims of crime to co-operate with authorities to ensure that justice was served.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE