South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested a woman after false hijacking claims.
Simphiwe Manzini has been arrested after she reported a false hijacking and kidnapping case at Protea Glen police station in Soweto.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said the 28-year-old woman faces charges of perjury, defeating the ends of justice and fraud
In her statement given under oath to the police, the suspect described how on Wednesday evening, 19 May 2021, her vehicle was taken by unknown men in Mohlakeng, Randfontein.
She said they put her inside the boot and drove around with her for the better part of the evening.
Masondo said that a team comprised of senior detectives, members of crime intelligence and other police response units, had worked throughout the night to locate the hijacked woman but had swiftly established discrepancies in the supposed victim’s statement.
The motive behind this alleged fabrication is unclear.
However, Simphiwe Manzini Mtimande is expected to appear before the Protea Magistrate Court on Friday, 21 May 2021.
