A missing Free State minister and his wife were found alive after being kidnapped and held hostage in Evaton.
Pastor Phillip Mashudu (55) and his wife Elsie Matlou Mashudu (54) were found late Monday night after they disappeared on Friday while on their way to a church conference in Paris.
The couple was hijacked and abducted on the road between Heilbron and Sasolburg.
After their vehicle was found in Sebokeng, a large-scale search operation was launched involving multiple police units in Gauteng and the Free State.
The breakthrough came Monday night when a provincial investigation team, working around the clock, arrested three suspects in Sharpeville in connection with the couple’s disappearance.
After further investigation, police soon arrived at a house in Evaton, where the Mashudus were found unharmed.
At the scene, the police seized a stack of bank cards, a large amount of money and a toy gun. The weapon was probably used to threaten the couple.
Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, SAPS Provincial Commissioner in the Free State, praised the team’s efforts in a statement.
“I would like to thank all the units that worked tirelessly on this case. Your dedication and hard work have brought us one step closer to justice and ensured the safe return of Pastor Mashudu and his wife,” Motswenyane said.
The suspects, all men between the ages of 31 and 41, will appear in court in Sasolburg tomorrow charged with hijacking and kidnapping.
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