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South Africans woke up in shock on Sunday after a chilling Facebook post from the official page of Amapiano duo Mapara A Jazz claimed they had been kidnapped in Ethiopia.
The duo, famous for their 2020 viral hit “John Vuli Gate,” reportedly travelled to Addis Ababa for a weekend performance but have not been heard from since posting a distress message on social media.
“We are kidnapped in Ethiopia 😭😭😭😭😭 – at Bole Medhanialem, Addis Ababa,” the post read. It included a live location pin from the Bole district — a busy area near Addis Ababa’s international airport — and a photo showing one of the musicians with a bloodstained shirt and visible cuts on his neck and face.
The message, shared late on Saturday, sent their fans and the South African music industry into panic. Within hours, screenshots of the post spread across Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, with many pleading for help from South African authorities and Ethiopian police.
As of Sunday afternoon, the post had been deleted from the duo’s Facebook page. But fans say it had already been up long enough to confirm that something was wrong. “It wasn’t hacked. That was real panic,” wrote one follower. “You could see the fear in his face.”
Attempts to contact the group’s management have so far failed. Their phones are reportedly unreachable, and messages sent to their official booking email have gone unanswered.
Mapara A Jazz, made up of members Man Malaya and Jay Zee, left South Africa on Friday, October 24, reportedly to perform at a club in Addis Ababa. Local Ethiopian media outlets have not yet reported on the alleged kidnapping, but social media users claim the duo’s last known location was in the Bole area — a district known for its nightlife, hotels, and embassies.
Concern has also grown over the authenticity of the situation, with some speculating the account may have been hacked. However, several South African artists and event promoters who have worked with Mapara A Jazz insist the distress post looked genuine.
One Pretoria-based promoter told local outlets that the duo had communicated with him just hours before the incident. “They were excited about the show and said they had landed safely,” he said. “But after that post went up, no one has been able to reach them. Their WhatsApps are on one tick.”
Fans flooded the comments section of the deleted post, tagging the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), urging the South African embassy in Addis Ababa to intervene. Some have even started sharing contact details for the Ethiopian police and embassy officials, calling for an immediate search.
The South African music community has rallied online under the hashtag #PrayForMaparaAJazz, with artists like Master KG and Makhadzi reposting the story on their Instagram stories, saying they are “heartbroken and hoping for good news.”
Adding to the confusion, a few hours after the post disappeared, an unverified account claiming to represent the duo said, “They are fine now,” but offered no proof. The post was quickly deleted, fuelling even more uncertainty.
DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the department was aware of the reports circulating online but had not yet received an official communication from Ethiopian authorities. “We are verifying the information through our embassy in Addis Ababa,” he said. “At this stage, we cannot confirm the kidnapping.”
Back in South Africa, friends and family of the duo are reportedly frantic. A family member who asked not to be named told journalists that they last spoke to the musicians on Friday night. “They were happy and talking about their setlist,” she said. “Now we don’t know if they’re even alive.”
The Bole district, where the distress post was geotagged, is one of the busiest areas in Addis Ababa — filled with hotels, clubs, and tourists. Kidnappings involving foreigners are rare in the Ethiopian capital, but there have been isolated incidents in the past linked to robbery or ransom attempts.
As speculation spreads, fans have been urged not to share unverified information that could jeopardise any ongoing investigations. Still, the sense of urgency online remains high.
Many South Africans are calling on the government to act swiftly, fearing that every passing hour could make the situation worse. “This is not just about celebrities,” one X user wrote. “If it can happen to them, it can happen to anyone.”
By Sunday evening, no new updates had emerged from either the family or officials. Ethiopian police have yet to issue a statement, and the whereabouts of the duo remain unknown.
For now, South Africans can only wait — refreshing their timelines in hope, scrolling through screenshots that may hold the last trace of Mapara A Jazz — and praying that the next post will bring good news.
