Jerry Boshoga, a businessman from Pretoria, has been reported still missing by police despite multiple social media posts indicating he was discovered dead.
In the midst of an ongoing search for Boshoga, the police on Wednesday issued an urgent call for responsible social media reporting.
The police also dealt with the dissemination of misleading information on social media, specifically the assertions made in the past 24 hours that Boshoga had been discovered dead.
“The investigation into [Mr Boshoga’s] kidnapping is still at a very sensitive stage, and the businessman has not been found alive nor deceased,” said Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the spokesperson for the SA Police Service.
Mathe emphasised the importance of halting the dissemination of unconfirmed information, pointing out its detrimental effects.
“The spreading of such misleading information has caused unnecessary trauma, panic, and anxiety for close family members, including his mother, wife, and children.
“We call on all social media users to stop the spread of unverified information,” Mathe said.
The police say they are in close contact with Boshoga’s family and will inform them of any case developments.
“The family will be the first to know if there are any developments in the case,” Mathe said.
Kidnapped after a business meeting
Boshoga went missing on November 18, 2024, after being abducted in Rooihuiskraal, Centurion, following a business meeting.
According to media reports, his brother Tumi drove the 46-year-old farmer and tenderpreneur to the meeting.
Following the meeting, Boshoga informed Tumi that he would be back in 15 minutes because a business associate wanted to show him something in the area.
Tumi tried to call him after he hadn’t returned after twenty minutes, but his phone went to voicemail.
An hour later, Boshoga’s wife got a call from the kidnappers, who made Boshoga confirm that he had been abducted and threatened to harm the family if they called the police.
The kidnappers’ initial ransom demand of R60-million was lowered to R10-million by January 2025.
Unsettling videos of Boshoga being tortured went viral, showing him being punched and kicked while having his hands bound and a T-shirt shoved in his mouth to stifle his cries.
