adminThe incident happened on Friday afternoon when four people, three men and a woman, offered Mr Francis Banda, who was waiting for a kombi near Mpopoma Post Office, a lift to Makokoba.
Mr Banda reportedly got into the white Nissan Sunny vehicle with tinted windows and was shocked when he woke up in Trenance two hours later without his $500 that was in his pocket.
In an interview yesterday, Mr Banda said he was lucky to be alive and was in good health.
“What happened on that day is still a mystery to me because the people who called me into the car called me by my name and I thought they were harmless.
“I was waiting for a kombi on Friday afternoon to take me to Makokoba before I met these people who were in a white Nissan Sunny.”
He said the car passed him before it reversed when one man asked him where he was going.
“I do not know any of the people but they addressed me by my name saying Bhudi Fra uyangaphi eduze siyekutshiya khona?
“I told them I was going to Makokoba to see my mother and they said they were going to drop me off there. When I got into the car I realised that one of the men was holding a piece of cloth that he continuously sprayed with a container he was holding,” said Mr Banda.
He said when they had travelled for some time the man suggested that they go back and take their licence as they were nearing a roadblock.
“We drove back to Mpopoma as the driver said he had forgotten his licence. On the way, the man who was holding the cloth tried to suffocate me and even though I tried to resist, they overpowered me and I passed out,” he said.
Mr Banda said he remembered feeling weak and only later woke up in Trenance.
“I only gained consciousness later only to find myself in a suburb I was not familiar with. With the help of a passerby, I managed to rush to Sauerstown and reported the matter to the
police. The people got away with $500 but they did not take my cellphone,” said Mr Banda.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the incident and urged members of the public to only use public transport.
“We received a report whereby a Mpopoma man alleges that he was kidnapped by people who had offered him a lift from Mpopoma to Makokoba.
“He further alleges that they took away his money amounting to $500,” said Insp Moyo.
Recently Insp Moyo discouraged members of the public from using private vehicles for transport.
This was after a nurse at Mpilo Central Hospital was allegedly kidnapped, drugged and had his blood drained by two men in a suspected ritual act before he was left for dead at Luveve Cemetery.
He said people risked being raped, murdered and robbed by the private operators and encouraged them to use public vehicles as they were licensed and insured.
Online Reporter