Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says police are investigating whether the abduction of Vosloorus businessman Mazwi Kubheka is linked to a syndicate involved in spaza shop territory disputes. The case has drawn sharp public attention after Kubheka was found alive following what authorities say was at least a month in captivity.

Lesufi made the comments during a briefing at the Vosloorus Police Station alongside Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni. He said investigators are still working to establish the full motive behind the kidnapping, but that a possible business dispute tied to Kubheka’s spaza shop cannot be ruled out.

Business rivalry now part of the investigation

Kubheka was allegedly abducted while on his way to the bank, and his cellphones were taken. He later presented himself at the Vosloorus Police Station, a day after hundreds of community members marched to demand faster progress in the case.

Lesufi said the investigation has so far pointed to a mixed group of alleged captors, including South Africans, Ethiopians and Malawians. He also said Kubheka’s family had told authorities that he had been in conflict with other shop owners over territory, placing business rivalry at the centre of the inquiry.

That detail is significant in a township economy where spaza shop competition can become deeply contested. In this case, though, police are still treating the syndicate angle as a live line of inquiry rather than a settled conclusion.

Hijacked buildings and no arrests yet

Lesufi said authorities can confirm that hijacked buildings were used as places where victims were held. He added that two Malawian men had been guarding Kubheka during his captivity.

Even with those details now public, the case remains wide open. Lesufi said there have been no arrests so far and that the investigation is continuing. That is likely to add to frustration in Vosloorus, where community anger has already spilled into the streets.

Pressure builds for answers

The case has become bigger than one kidnapping. It now touches on policing, organised crime and the fierce competition around township retail trade. For local residents, the main issue is whether police can move fast enough to identify those behind the abduction and prove whether a wider network is involved.

For now, Kubheka is back, but the bigger questions remain unanswered. Police still need to explain who took him, who ordered it, and whether his ordeal was part of a broader battle over control of spaza shop territory.