Home » South African Musician Vusi Nova Safe After Hijacking Ordeal

South African Musician Vusi Nova Safe After Hijacking Ordeal

South African afro-pop musician Vusi Nova has been successfully found, after being hijacked early Friday morning – betwen 04h30 and 05h00 – outside his home in Melville, Johannesburg. After anxious calls in Gauteng to look out for the kidnapped artist, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa confirmed he is safe, tweeting: “We’re relieved to hear […]

25-08-17 11:28

South African afro-pop musician Vusi Nova has been successfully found, after being hijacked early Friday morning – betwen 04h30 and 05h00 – outside his home in Melville, Johannesburg.

After anxious calls in Gauteng to look out for the kidnapped artist, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa confirmed he is safe, tweeting: “We’re relieved to hear that musician Vusi Nova is safe & call on those with information of his hijacking to assist law enforcement agencies.”

The award-winning musician allegedly suffered a gruelling two-hour hijacking – including being “stripped and beaten”, according to his manager Lance Stehr – before being abandoned in Soweto.

Stehr says police were alerted to his whereabouts at around 06h45.

According to The Sowetan, Vusi had been hijacked with four others. After a shot was fired some escaped but he and another singer were kidnapped. They had been performing at a concert with Ntando. The hijackers included a gang of about four men.

Stehr said: “The other musician was discovered in Riverlea with an ear partially cut off. Vusi is safe and that is all that matters…

“He is pissed off and giving a statement to police at the moment.”

Some social commenters have accused Stehr of engineering the hijacking as a PR stunt. Earlier this month actor Dumi Masilela was killed in a hijacking in Tembisa.