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Guitabali Samngi, a 53-year-old woman from Mozambique who lived in Nelspruit and was kidnapped on 15 October 2019. [Image: Lowvelder]
The Hawks confirmed on Friday that Guitabali Samgi’s body had been found in Witbank, wrapped in white sheets.
Guitabali Samgi, a 53-year-old woman from Mozambique who lived in Nelspruit and was kidnapped on 15 October last year, has been found dead.
Lowvelder reported last year that Samgi was travelling from The Crossing shopping centre to her home at Elawini Lifestyle Estate when she was kidnapped.
Sadly, the Hawks confirmed on Friday that Samgi’s body had been found in Witbank, wrapped in white sheets.
According to reports, the kidnappers demanded $2 million for Samgi’s release, which the family paid, along with an additional $7 million, bringing the total to $9 million. The money was paid into five bank accounts in Mozambique in December 2019, but she was never released, and the suspects demanded even more money.
The last communication received from the suspects was in December 2019, until Witbank police confirmed that the body of a woman found in the area was Samgi.
It is reported that the kidnappers allegedly used WhatsApp to communicate to Samgi’s family, through Wi-Fi connections, and that thus far, no phones have been traced to the suspects.
The five Mozambique bank accounts also allegedly belong to two Mozambican nationals based in Maputo, and through the assistance of Interpol, the two suspects will reportedly be asked to explain the accounts where the ransom money was deposited to.
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TimesLIVE reported on Monday that eyewitnesses saw Samgi get into a gold Chevrolet on the day she was kidnapped.
“Her car was found at Cairn, on the outskirts of Mbombela, with the driver’s window smashed. Her belongings were found inside the car,” Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brig Leonard Hlathi, told Lowvelder last year.
It is also reported that a CCTV image of a potential suspect has been released by police.
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