A growing number of people are being lured to Maboneng through dating apps and social media platforms, only to be robbed, kidnapped, or assaulted. This trend has prompted the Gauteng's community safety committee to issue a public warning.
During the committee's unannounced oversight visit to Jeppe police station on Thursday, the station's managers briefed the committee on a disturbing trend whereby victims from across Gauteng are lured to Maboneng through hookup apps, only to be kidnapped, robbed, or assaulted.
The committee said these “crimes follow a similar pattern to the Olorato Mongale murder case, where victims are deceived by strangers they meet in malls or online before being attacked”.
A manager at Kalahari Thyme restaurant in Maboneng told TimesLIVE that his establishment had not experienced such incidents on-site but he was aware of other venues that had.
“We hear about this happening at other restaurants and nightclubs, especially at night. When people arrive together at a restaurant, we assume they know each other. We only find out later when police investigate and say the victim came to meet someone via an app,” he said.
Orlando Mahlalela, a waitress at Bertrand restaurant, said the incidents had been happening since 2023 but have increased this year.
“Recently, a girl almost got kidnapped. Luckily, her friends were tracking her GPS and called the police in time. They caught the guy just before he left Maboneng with her,” he said.
Mahlalela added that criminals now use daytime meetings to avoid suspicion. “It looks normal when someone meets during the day, so no-one thinks anything is wrong, but that’s when they strike. People should stop meeting strangers alone,” he warned.
Sbonelo Buthelezi, an Uber driver, told TimesLIVE about a passenger who had a close call. “The girl said she was almost robbed by someone she met through a dating app. She was shaken when I picked her up from Maboneng,” said Buthelezi.
For their safety, the committee advises the public “to avoid meeting strangers from apps in isolated or unfamiliar areas and inform trusted contacts about meetup plans, verify identities through video calls before the meeting, and immediately report suspicious activity to the police”.
TimesLIVE
