The Mayfair school kidnapping sent shockwaves across a nation that, not too long ago, sobered from the horrors of the Moti brothers.
Mayfair school kidnapping: Here’s what we know
As reported by Sowetan Live, South African police were called out to EP Bauman Primary School, on Wednesday morning, after a school pupil was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint.
In a statement, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi provided more information on the incident that left the entire Mayfair community gobsmacked.
“This happened outside the school gate while she was waiting in line to be sanitised and screened,” he said.
Details around the abducted pupil are still murky. However, we can confirm that the victim was a 11-year-old Grade 5 schoolgirl.
“We are pleading with any member of the public who may have witnessed the abduction or knows anything about this incident to approach relevant law enforcement agencies,” Lesufi said.
The education department confirmed that EP Bauman Primary pupils have been receiving counselling and that school would resume as normal on Thursday.
“Police are investigating circumstances surrounding this matter,” Lesufi confirmed.
Latest details on the alleged kidnappers
The Mayfair school kidnapping is the main priority for Gauteng police who’ve had their work cut out for them since the incident took place on Wednesday morning.
At the time of publishing, Mayfair police had not responded to our request for an update on the investigation. However, from what we understand, the assigned kidnapping task team may be in search of three suspects believed to be involved in the abduction.
According to Lesufi, three men were seen with AK47 assault rifles as they called out the girl’s name. It’s believed the abductors had approached the school with every intent to snatch the Grade 5 pupil.
Furthermore, the suspects sped off in a white Toyota Yaris with GP registration plates which, after a search, turned out to be fake.
The mother of the schoolgirl has been contacted by the kidnappers, according to Mayfair councillor Rickey Nair. However, as things stand, no ransom offer has been made, only an instruction for the mother to not contact police or the media.
The police have yet to issue a formal statement with latest updates on the Mayfair school kidnapping.
