A 26-year-old woman who was kidnapped while travelling home in an Uber has been rescued unharmed following a coordinated operation involving police, community safety structures and private security companies.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng, the woman was kidnapped on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, when the Uber she was travelling in stopped to drop her off.
Two armed men allegedly approached the vehicle from behind, robbed the Uber driver of his cellphone and forced the woman into another vehicle before speeding away.
The incident was immediately reported to police, prompting the activation of a multidisciplinary task team comprising the SAPS Anti-Kidnapping Unit, SAPS Fairland, the Community Police Forum (CPF), community patrollers, Victim Support and Beagle Watch Armed Response.
Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the successful operation demonstrated the value of cooperation between police, community safety structures and private security companies.
“The collaboration between the police, Community Police Forums, community patrollers and private security companies through Business Against Crime South Africa, under the banner of the Eyes and Ears (E2) Initiative, continues to yield positive results,” said Nevhuhulwi.
The breakthrough came on Thursday, 6 August, when the team acted on information that led them to Sebokeng, where one suspect was arrested.
The suspect is believed to have been the driver of one of the vehicles used during the kidnapping.
Further investigations then led the team to Vosloorus, where the kidnapped woman was found unharmed, although visibly shaken.
She was subsequently reunited with her family.
The suspect arrested in Sebokeng is expected to appear before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on a charge of kidnapping.
Police investigations are continuing.
