{"id":266240,"date":"2025-07-11T09:05:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T07:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/?p=266240"},"modified":"2025-07-13T13:10:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T11:10:11","slug":"businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/","title":{"rendered":"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>GAUTENG<\/strong> &#8211; A 60-year-old businessman has been dramatically rescued after spending six weeks in captivity, following an intense police operation that left two kidnappers dead and three others behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rescue operation unfolded yesterday afternoon (10 July) in Randfontein when members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) anti-kidnapping task team stormed a house where the businessman was being held since his abduction on 29 May 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-attachment-id=\"266242\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/kidnapping-arrest\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kidnapping-arrest.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"kidnapping-arrest\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kidnapping-arrest-1024x768.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kidnapping-arrest-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Three kidnappers were arrested and two shot dead during a multiple police operation when freeing a business man held hostage.\" class=\"wp-image-266242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kidnapping-arrest-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kidnapping-arrest-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kidnapping-arrest-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/kidnapping-arrest.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Three kidnapping suspects were arrested when police raided a house where a businessman had been kept hostage for six weeks. PHOTO: SAPS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-deadly-confrontation-in-randfontein\">Deadly confrontation in Randfontein<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At approximately 15:15 on Thursday, intelligence-led police units descended on the Randfontein property where a fierce gun battle erupted. Two suspects were fatally wounded during the shootout, while three others were successfully apprehended by the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The businessman, who was initially kidnapped in Lenasia, has since been reunited with his family members after the harrowing six-week ordeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-r15-million-ransom-demand\">R15 million ransom demand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the May kidnapping, the victim&#8217;s family received ransom demands totaling at least R15 million from the criminal syndicate. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the rescue was the result of meticulous intelligence gathering and coordinated police work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-gauteng-s-growing-kidnapping-crisis\">Gauteng&#8217;s growing kidnapping crisis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The successful rescue highlights the escalating kidnapping crisis plaguing Gauteng province. Official statistics reveal that between January and March 2025 alone, 144 kidnapping cases involving ransom demands were reported across the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, police efforts have yielded significant results. Over the past two years, more than 170 kidnappers involved in ransom-related crimes have been arrested by the SAPS anti-kidnapping task team across Gauteng and other provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This rescue follows another high-profile operation last month, when a Mozambican kidnapping kingpin was shot dead in Fourways during a tracing operation to locate a kidnapped Pakistani businessman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 60-year-old businessman has been dramatically rescued after spending six weeks in captivity, following an intense police operation that left two kidnappers dead and three others behind bars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":266194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"58","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"2","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[8800,8156,7909,8435],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-266240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-kidnapping","tag-news","tag-recommended","tag-saps"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout | Weslander<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A businessman has been rescued after six-week captivity. Two suspects were killed in a shootout, three arrested.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A businessman has been rescued after six-week captivity. Two suspects were killed in a shootout, three arrested.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Weslander\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/weslander\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-11T07:05:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-13T11:10:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/983baf19061ae37200c677921427ddd7\"},\"headline\":\"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-11T07:05:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-13T11:10:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":298,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Kidnapping\",\"News\",\"Recommended\",\"SAPS\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/\",\"name\":\"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout | Weslander\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-11T07:05:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-13T11:10:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"A businessman has been rescued after six-week captivity. Two suspects were killed in a shootout, three arrested.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"Two kidnappers were killed and another three arrested, during a shoot-out with police.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/\",\"name\":\"Weslander\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Weslander\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/weslander-site-icon-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/weslander-site-icon-1.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Weslander\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/weslander\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/weslander_koerant\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Weslander has been the main source of reliable news for the West Coast (Weskus) for 53 years, earning the trust of generations of readers. With a strong community focus, the newspaper serves as a vital link between residents, local businesses, and public services. It\u2019s a go-to platform for hyper-local stories \u2014 the kind of news that often goes unnoticed by national outlets but plays a crucial role in everyday life. From school achievements and local heroes to municipal matters and regional developments, Weslander provides a voice to smaller communities, helping to connect people, raise awareness, and highlight the issues that matter most to them.\",\"email\":\"weslander@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"022 713 1251\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/983baf19061ae37200c677921427ddd7\",\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Novus Media\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/author\\\/novusmedia\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout | Weslander","description":"A businessman has been rescued after six-week captivity. Two suspects were killed in a shootout, three arrested.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout","og_description":"A businessman has been rescued after six-week captivity. Two suspects were killed in a shootout, three arrested.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/","og_site_name":"Weslander","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/weslander\/","article_published_time":"2025-07-11T07:05:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-13T11:10:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Novus Media","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Novus Media","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/"},"author":{"name":"Novus Media","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/person\/983baf19061ae37200c677921427ddd7"},"headline":"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout","datePublished":"2025-07-11T07:05:19+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-13T11:10:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/"},"wordCount":298,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg","keywords":["Kidnapping","News","Recommended","SAPS"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/","name":"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout | Weslander","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-11T07:05:19+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-13T11:10:11+00:00","description":"A businessman has been rescued after six-week captivity. Two suspects were killed in a shootout, three arrested.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg","width":1500,"height":1000,"caption":"Two kidnappers were killed and another three arrested, during a shoot-out with police."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/businessman-rescued-after-six-week-kidnapping-ordeal-two-suspects-killed-in-shootout\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Businessman rescued after six-week kidnapping ordeal: Two suspects killed in shootout"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/","name":"Weslander","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization","name":"Weslander","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/weslander-site-icon-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/weslander-site-icon-1.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Weslander"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/weslander\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/weslander_koerant\/"],"description":"Weslander has been the main source of reliable news for the West Coast (Weskus) for 53 years, earning the trust of generations of readers. With a strong community focus, the newspaper serves as a vital link between residents, local businesses, and public services. It\u2019s a go-to platform for hyper-local stories \u2014 the kind of news that often goes unnoticed by national outlets but plays a crucial role in everyday life. From school achievements and local heroes to municipal matters and regional developments, Weslander provides a voice to smaller communities, helping to connect people, raise awareness, and highlight the issues that matter most to them.","email":"weslander@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"022 713 1251","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/person\/983baf19061ae37200c677921427ddd7","name":"Novus Media","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Novus Media"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/author\/novusmedia\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-2.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":267666,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/major-firearms-trafficking-syndicate-bust-with-firearms-destined-for-the-western-cape\/","url_meta":{"origin":266240,"position":0},"title":"Major firearms trafficking syndicate bust with firearms destined for the Western Cape","author":"Novus Media","date":"29 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"JOHANNESBURG - Police arrested two suspects and seized 30 unlicensed firearms in Johannesburg on Monday evening. The firearms were destined for the Western Cape, according to information gathered during the investigation. The operation took place in Meyersdal and involved the South African Police Service anti-kidnapping task team. Police believe they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Police have arrested two suspects in possession 30 unlicensed firearms in Johannesburg.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"NovaNews","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266240\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/266194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266240"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=266240"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=266240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}