By Kaya 959 News
A Gauteng woman has been slammed after she allegedly lied about being kidnapped during a hijacking ordeal.
#FindSimphiwe trended on various social media platforms after the woman posted her ‘ordeal’ on social media.
In a Facebook post, Simphiwe Manzini Mntimande wrote: “I just been hijacked, I’m in the boot of my car, they took my other phone thinking I have one… I’ll update u till I’m nomore.”
Her post was shared hundreds of times. Her friends and other social media users jumped to ask for assistance with tracking her down.
She later posted that the men had stopped the car and were arguing about who was going to have sex with her.
South Africa, Simphiwe has been hijacked. Can we raise awareness until she is found. #findsimphiwe pic.twitter.com/Z9cCpY24W5
— Lasizwe (@lasizwe) May 19, 2021
READ: Dr Tumi on mugging incident – ‘I was not shocked’
Hijacking and kidnap was fake
On Thursday, the woman took to social media, once more, to reveal that she was safe.
She also did not go into details about how she managed to get away from the men who abducted her.
“Hello South Africa, I won’t be long. I am Simphiwe Manzini, I just wanted to let you all know that I am safe. Physically I am okay, but emotionally I am not okay, I just want to let you know that I am safe and I can’t say where I am right now, but I am okay- Thank you for your prayers and everything you did to try and find where I am, thank you very much,” she wrote.
In a short interview on Newzroom Afrika, SAPS Minister General Bheki Cele, said he spent almost six hours trying to get details.
He said police discovered that the entire ‘hijacking’ and ‘kidnap’ was fake.
“All of us were busy. It was all hands on deck… only to discover that this was perjury, defeating the ends of justice and somebody was naughty and irresponsible,” Cele said.
He said police viewed instances of women abuse in a very serious manner.
Woman charged
SAPS spokesperson in Gauteng, Captain Mavela Masondo, said the woman was charged for perjury, defeating the ends of justice for opening a false hijacking case at the Protea police station in Soweto.
Masondo said in her statement given under oath to the police, the suspect described how on Wednesday evening, 19 May 2021, her vehicle was taken by unknown men in Mohlakeng, Randfontein, who put her inside the boot and drove around with her for the better part of the evening.
“A team under the leadership of West Rand District Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana, composed of senior detectives, members of crime intelligence and other police response units, that worked throughout the night to locate the ‘hijacked woman’ swiftly established discrepancies in the supposed victim’s statement,” he said.
READ: Gigi Lamayne recounts hijacking ordeal: ‘Take the car broer, just leave me intact!’
Masondo said it emerged on further probe that the said hijacking and kidnapping report was false and this was subsequently corroborated by the woman’s confession that she was never kidnapped.
At this stage, it is unclear when she will appear in court.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has welcomed the arrest and commended the police. He said the officers paid thorough attention to detail and were able to swiftly poke holes in the woman’s false report.
