Grindr Gang Trial: Emotional Testimony as Victim’s Cousin and Family Friend Take the Stand

The long-running “Grindr Gang” trial resumed in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 4 November, with two new witnesses taking the stand. MambaOnline was in court to observe proceedings.

The seven accused, Sanele Ndlovu, Vikani Khanyeza, Sohollo Khumalo, Sphamandla Mavundla, Lungisani Mshabalala, Thulani Mazibuko, and Khayelihle Zulu, face four charges: kidnapping, extortion, attempted murder and theft.

In August, the court heard from the first witness, a friend of the victim, who testified about the harrowing night of 19 September 2023, when he received ransom demands of R30,000 from the alleged kidnappers.

On Tuesday, two more witnesses, the victim’s cousin (Witness 2) and a family friend (Witness 3), shared their versions of events.

Witness 2: “He was not the same person anymore”

Taking the stand in tears, the victim’s cousin described the moment she learned of the kidnapping. On 20 September 2023, she received disturbing messages on her phone.

“The message said they had my brother. At first, I thought it was a joke, until they sent pictures,” she testified.

The images showed the victim with visible injuries: his hands were tied, and a knife was held near his private parts. “That’s when I knew it was real,” she said. She immediately informed her family, who had already received similar messages earlier that day.

Witness 2 then went to the Hillbrow Police Station, where she learned that police were already investigating the case. Later that evening, the victim was found alive but in a critical condition.

“When I saw him at Milpark Hospital, he couldn’t speak. He had been hit on the head and needed surgery. He was unconscious for more than a month,” she said, breaking down in court. “When he woke up, one side of his body was not working. He was not the same person anymore.”

The witness also told the court that during one of the early court appearances in September 2023, she noticed that one of the accused was wearing her cousin’s jacket.

“It was black. His mother had bought it for him. I recognised it immediately,” she said, pointing at accused number 2.

During cross-examination, defence lawyers challenged her claims, arguing that the accused would testify that he had been wearing a navy jacket, not the victim’s. Witness 2, however, stood by her statement.

“I know my brother’s clothes. I used to visit him at school,” she said firmly.

She further testified that the kidnappers had harassed the family using multiple phone numbers and continued to demand money, threatening to kill the victim if their demands were not met.

“I didn’t have any money, but I kept speaking to them because I wanted them to release him,” she said.

The cousin also told the court that the phone she had used during the incident was no longer in her possession because it had since been damaged.

Witness 3: “I was asked to send R3,000”

The court also heard from Witness 3, a friend of the victim’s father, who testified about his involvement on the night of the kidnapping.

He said he received a call around 7pm from the victim’s father, who was desperate and said his son had been kidnapped.

“He asked me to send R3,000 to a specific number through eWallet,” the witness explained. “I sent the money and later that night, around 9pm, I was told the victim had been released.”

Later that evening, the witness received a call from a detective from the Hillbrow Police Station, who asked him to come collect the recovered money.

“I went to the station that night, signed a document, and was handed the R3,000 back,” he said.

The witness confirmed he did not know who the phone number belonged to and used FNB’s eWallet service to send the funds.

Victim’s Testimony Still Pending

The victim, who was expected to testify on Tuesday, was unable to attend court as he is currently writing exams. His testimony is now expected to be heard when the trial resumes later this month.

Background

The accused allegedly used the dating app Grindr to lure the 18-year-old Wits University student to a fake date in September 2023. Once he arrived, he was allegedly kidnapped, beaten, and held for ransom. He spent over two months in hospital recovering from his injuries.

Civil society groups, including Iranti, Parents, Families and Friends of South African Queers (PFSAQ), the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), and MambaOnline, were once again present in court to support the victim and his family.

The attack is just one of many documented incidents in a long-standing trend of queer men being targeted, robbed, or assaulted after meeting people through dating apps across South Africa.

The trial continues.