. . . says she was abducted by unknown men who had been promised M30 000 for her heart and liver
Mohau Serabele
Teyateyaneng
NTHABISENG Teba of Teyateyneng Ha Bale and her twin-brother, Thabo, sat by the fireplace with their father Sefako Teba, on Tuesday last week, eating roasted mealies or machachisa, as the food is known among local communities.
It was a normal evening for the Tebas, and warming themselves around the fire before retiring for the night is traditionally the last rite of the day for the family.
Amid the joy and laughter, Nthabiseng (34) walked out of the house at around 9pm and headed for the toilet where she unfortunately met her kidnappers who had reportedly been promised M30 000 for her liver and heart by a “customer”.
When the Sunday Express visited her home last Thursday, the mother-of-two sobbed as she narrated what transpired soon after her abduction.
“When I left the hut where we were warming ourselves, I was going to relieve myself in the toilet, which, as you can see, is closeby,” said Nthabiseng.
“But once inside, I heard two men talking as they approached the toilet. They pushed the door open and one of them pointed a gun at me, and grabbed me by the neck and covered my mouth so I could not scream for help.
“The men dragged me away, while they had put a black plastic around my head, and tied a rope around my waist.
“They were ordering me not to shout for help or they would kill me,” she said.
Nthabiseng said after having walked “for a long distance”, they arrived where a car had been parked and she was ordered to get into the vehicle.
“I could not see the car or the place where it was parked, because my head was covered. They just drove off with me until we reached Teyateyaneng (TY) town.
“The men then told me they were going to kill me because someone was going to pay M30 000 for my heart and liver. They said the traditional healer had instructed their client to bring the heart and liver of a twin, hence they had targeted me.”
However, Nthabiseng said her abductors could not kill her after arguing about the client’s change of heart.
“I still couldn’t see them but I heard from their discussion that they could not agree on the amount of money their client would pay for my body parts. It appeared the client was no longer willing to pay the M30 000 he or she had promised them.
“They then argued any other amount was not worth killing me for, so they released me in the early hours of Wednesday. They led me to some cornfields and left me alone in the dark. I was scared and cold, and could not even cry for help because I was shaking all over.”
Nthabiseng said she stayed in the field until sunrise, and then was rescued by some herd-boys.
“At sunrise on Wednesday, I tried to walk but could not. I had a sharp pain around my waist; all I could do was crawl till I got to a tarred road. I then got assistance from some herd-boys, who led me to Ha Ramachine village.”
Ha Ramachine lies about 10 kilometres east of TY town.
“At Ha Ramachine, we went to the village chief who then called the police,” she said.
Nthabiseng said her brush with death had left her fearing for her life.
“I don’t know why they came for me, or when they would return, since they said they targeted me because I am a twin. What is so special about my liver anyway, that they could want it so bad? I am frightened and just hope and pray they will not come again.”
Nthabiseng also said while growing up, she would hear stories of twins who had been murdered for their body parts.
“I used to think they were just stories, and never thought they were real.”
Nthabiseng’s twin brother, Thabo, told the Sunday Express he was thankful his sister was still alive.
“If she had died, her two kids would have been left destitute. How could I have looked after them when I am unemployed?” he asked.
Questioned about the incident, Police Spokesperson Lebona Mohloboli said he was not aware of the case.
“I will communicate with the TY police and might have some information on Monday,” Sr Insp Mohloboli yesterday told the Sunday Express.
Meanwhile, Nthabiseng’s father, Sefako Teba, said he could not afford to lose his daughter.
“I am very glad that she is here. One of my daughters died after she had been abducted by her lover,” Mr Teba said.
And when I heard Nthabiseng had been abducted, I was afraid she was going to die but God has been kind to us now that she is alive and well.”
Chief Tase Bale yesterday confirmed he had received the girl’s missing report.
“We tried to look for the girl the night she was abducted but we could not find her,” Chief Bale said.
“When she returned, I decided to leave the issue with the girl’s father, who is now working with the police in trying to track down the adductors.”
“This is not the first such incident to take place in the same village,” added Chief Bale.
“In February this year, there was another woman who was abducted by some young men coming from an initiation school.
“She was later found in one of the abandoned houses in this area, with her feet tied. Luckily, she had not been sexually abused.”
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