For six hours kidnappers continually beat Shahadat Hossain (28) with his own belt, while he became increasingly weaker from a gunshot wound he had sustained earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hossain became the latest victim in a spate of kidnappings currently happening all over the Goldfields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Between 20 and 30 foreigners, as well as a South African, are among the victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hossain was abducted on Thursday, 28 April, at 20:20 and dropped off outside Welkom at 02:30 on the Friday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hossain\u2019s cousin, and two leaders of the local Bangladeshi community, Isaque Lalmiah and Foyez Ullah, negotiated with the kidnappers for hours. At around 02:00 they placed a ransom of R50 000 under a bridge, between Bronville and Thabong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three men say the moment the ransom was paid, they were called and told to pick up Hossain at a mine outside Welkom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hossain was admitted to the RH Matjhabeng Private Hospital and was operated on to remove the bullets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His medical expenses amount to R125 000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was shot in his right elbow and the bullet then also hit him in the stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A second shot hit him in the thigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He says one of his attackers shot him from behind while he was in his bakkie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe pushed me out of the seat and over to the left, while more people got into the back of the bakkie. They then drove off with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hossain was detained for hours at a railway line near Virginia, before being dropped off after the ransom was paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGod gave me another life,\u201d he said when he spoke to Netwerk24 on Wednesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was in extreme discomfort due to the gunshot wounds as he sat on a chair outside a shop in Welkom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe longer we waited, the more they hit me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the previous week, two store owners were abducted from Virginia and the week before that, a store owner from Odendaalsrus was abducted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lalmiah and Ullah, who have been in South Africa for more than 20 years, say in April nine Bangladeshis, five Ethiopians, three Pakistani citizens and one Indian were abducted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As leaders, Lamiah and Ullah\u2019s help is called in during the kidnappings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The abducted men are all part of the local Muslim community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwo of them were shot and the rest were so badly beaten with sjamboks that they had to be taken to hospital,\u201d says Lalmiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are very worried, and our community is scared,\u201d says Ullah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They believe the kidnapping gangs consist of South Africans and citizens of Lesotho and that ten to 12 people are involved in the kidnappings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kidnappers not only get away with the ransom, they rob everything the victim has with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hossain\u2019s expensive jacket, his wallet and his cellphone were taken from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police have not yet located his bakkie, but the other victims\u2019 vehicles were recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ullah says the kidnappers mostly use expensive luxury vehicles when they collect the ransoms, and they are well informed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have spoken to the police\u2019s top management \u2013 we can only humbly ask that they do more to protect us,\u201d says Ullah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have been used to armed robberies for a long time, but this is a new thing. A special police unit is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police have confirmed that kidnappings in the Northern Free State have risen sharply and say some of the kidnappers have been arrested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Capt. Stephen Thakeng, spokesperson for the SAPS in Lejweleputswa, three people including a foreign female have been arrested for kidnapping Hossain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He says a fourth suspect fled with the R50 000 ransom. Thakeng could not confirm how many kidnappings there have been in recent times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He pushed me out of the seat and over to the left, while more people got into the back of the bakkie \u2013 Shahadat Hossain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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