Zimbabwean Professor Kidnapped In South Africa

A South African-based Zimbabwean academic, Sheperd Sikhosana, was allegedly kidnapped by eight men who wanted to rob him of cryptocurrency worth US$13 billion.

This was revealed in court when Moses Chademana (60) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa facing two counts of kidnapping and impersonation involving the abduction of Sikhosana and his wife Sekayi Adelpha.

As reported by Source, Chademana was remanded out of custody to June 13 on US$1 000 bail.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Lancelot Mutsokoti alleged that on May 13, 2024, Chademana together with his accomplices in South Africa hatched a plan to kidnap Sikhosana and his wife in South Africa.

According to court documents, Chademana’s accomplices who claimed to be from Interpol, included five blacks and two whites.

The accused persons allegedly visited Sikhosana and quizzed him on why he was involved with Falcon Gold Digital Forensic and Crypto Recovery Services.

Sikhosana told them that he engaged the company to recover his wife’s hacked crypto coins.

It is alleged the kidnappers misrepresented to the couple that some Russians had been hired to assassinate them.

They then ordered the couple to enter their vehicle, saying they were taking them to Interpol Zimbabwe for further interviews.

The kidnappers allegedly drove the complainants from Johannesburg and crossed the Beitbridge border without going through immigration processes.

Sikhosana and his wife were handed over to Chademana at an Engen service station in Beitbridge.

Mutsokoti told the court that Chademana and one of his accomplices who is still at large introduced themselves as detectives from Interpol Harare and took away one of Sikhosana’s cellphones.

They then drove the couple to Harare where they booked them at a lodge while warning them against raising alarm.

It is further alleged that on May 19, 2024, Chademana’s accomplices in South Africa informed him that an official kidnapping report had been filed.

Chademana then forced Sikhosana to lie to his relatives that he had visited Zimbabwe.

The complainants allegedly took advantage of the absence of their kidnappers to notify one of their relatives about the kidnapping.

Sikhosana and his wife also sent their geographical location leading to the suspect’s arrest.