Theresa Minnie was kidnapped from her home on Monday morning, 11 August 2025, in Kariega in the Eastern Cape. (Photo: Facebook) 
On Tuesday, Hawks spokesperson Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana implored the families of kidnap victims not to try to handle the situation by themselves. Mhlakuvana said family involvement was hindering the police’s investigations into the many kidnappings in Nelson Mandela Bay.
This warning comes as community anxiety mounts over the recent kidnapping of Theresa Minnie, the latest victim in Fairbridge Heights, Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) in the metro.
While not all kidnappings are reported to the police it is estimated that there have been anywhere between 13 and 25 kidnappings for ransom this year alone in the metro.
Mhlakuvana said the Hawks could not give any information on arrests.
Councillor Bill Harrington from the Freedom Front Plus said their statistics indicated that there had been 25 kidnappings this year alone.
Read more: Alleged kidnapping mastermind still in custody after charges are withdrawn
Several sources, some close to the families who suffered a kidnapping this year, said they do not believe there have been any arrests.
In June, Lindsay Knowlden was kidnapped from the municipal fresh produce market in Markman as she and her husband arrived for work on a Saturday morning.
Read more: Business community reels after kidnapping incident: Nelson Mandela Bay’s security crisis deepens
Meanwhile fear has gripped the metro and communities are organising secret meetings to discuss how they can keep themselves safe after 73-year-old Minnie was kidnapped from her home on Monday at about 5.30am.
Minnie was on her way to work at the family’s logistics business when she was overpowered and dragged into a Volkswagen Polo that then sped away.
The police confirmed that a charge of kidnapping had been opened, but by Tuesday night there had been no confirmation if a ransom demand was received.
“In several instances, we have observed the direct engagements between the victims’ families and perpetrators,” Mhlakuvana added. “We discourage such practices as it most of the time hinders our investigations.
“The multidisciplinary kidnapping task team remains active and continues to operate in close coordination with various SAPS units,” he said. “The team’s focus is to swiftly address kidnapping cases effectively.”
He said he could confirm that this “collaborative task team” had “active kidnapping investigations”.
Mhlakuvana said that even providing basic information, such as the number of arrests, would “compromise ongoing investigations”. However, he did not explain how confirming an arrest might jeopardise a case.
But he assured the public that “significant progress has been made”. Arrests, he said, had been made for “kidnapping-related offences”.
“It must be noted that some of these cases are currently before court, while others are still under investigation. We have seen positive results as we work closely with communities.”
In April the police managed to free American missionary Josh Sullivan, who was kidnapped for ransom from his church in Motherwell. Three of the men who held him captive were killed by the police at the time.
Read more: Abducted American pastor rescued after shootout with police, kidnappers killed
The current president of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Kelvin Naidoo, was also kidnapped for ransom last year but later released by his captors.
Read more: Kidnapped Eastern Cape business leader Kelvin Naidoo ‘rescued alive’ in early hours — police
The Democratic Alliance’s Yusuf Cassim said he believed that there had been a major failure in crime intelligence, both in Nelson Mandela Bay and in the Eastern Cape.
“I also believe they have no arrests to show,” he said. “The state of crime intelligence in the province has gone beyond just being a concern. It has been debilitated.”
In May the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police received a petition drawn up by residents of Nelson Mandela Bay’s Northern Areas. In their subsequent discussion they pointed out that the problems plaguing Nelson Mandela Bay were systemic and echoed across the country.
“Repeated acts of violence, a culture of fear in communities and an apparent lack of accountability had become entrenched,” the meeting report read.
Following this meeting the Portfolio Committee on Police resolved to request further information from the SAPS on the status and resourcing of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) and Crime Intelligence in the Eastern Cape, as well as the police’s plans to improve investigation quality, prioritise forensic analysis and enforce discipline among its ranks.
As part of its recommendations the committee ordered that “the SAPS must urgently address staffing, equipment, and capacity gaps in the Eastern Cape’s AGU and Crime Intelligence structures, specifically in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“A progress report on steps taken to implement the recommendation should be submitted by the end of July 2025.” Cassim said no such report has been received. “We are in big trouble,” he said. DM