Limpopo police have launched a manhunt for four armed suspects who allegedly kidnapped a farm worker during a carjacking in Tshamutumbu before abandoning his stolen vehicle in the Limpopo River.
The incident took place at a farm in the Vhembe District at about 11.30am on Saturday, 8 August 2026. Police have opened investigations into carjacking and kidnapping, but no arrests have been made.
According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the victim was working on the farm when he was confronted by four unidentified suspects. The group was allegedly armed with a firearm and a knife.
“It is alleged that at about 11.30am, the victim was busy at the farm when he was approached by four unknown suspects armed with a firearm and a knife,” Ledwaba said.
The suspects allegedly demanded the man’s vehicle. They then forced him into the loading area of the vehicle and covered his face before driving away with him.
“The suspects reportedly demanded the victim’s vehicle. They then forced him into the loading area of the vehicle and covered his face before driving away with him,” Ledwaba said.
The victim was driven away from the farm and later dropped off at another farm near the Limpopo River. The suspects then continued fleeing in the stolen vehicle, leaving the farm worker behind.
“The victim was subsequently dropped off at another farm near the Limpopo River, while the suspects continued driving away in his vehicle,” Ledwaba said.
The vehicle was a white Toyota Land Cruiser valued at approximately R700 000. Police later found it abandoned in the middle of the Limpopo River.
The recovery raised further questions about the suspects’ alleged plans and the route they had taken after the kidnapping. The vehicle was not intact when it was found. Police said the battery and spare wheel had been removed.
“The vehicle was later recovered abandoned in the middle of the Limpopo River. The battery and spare wheel were found to be missing,” Ledwaba said.
The discovery of the bakkie in the river is expected to form part of the investigation as officers work to establish whether the suspects intended to cross the waterway or abandoned the vehicle after removing parts from it. Police have not disclosed whether the vehicle was partially submerged or how it was recovered.
The victim’s ordeal has also placed renewed attention on the risks faced by farm workers and rural residents in areas near the Limpopo River and the Zimbabwean border. The river and surrounding routes have previously featured in cases involving stolen vehicles, although police have not confirmed a cross-border connection in this latest incident.
The four suspects remain unidentified and are believed to be armed. Police have urged members of the public not to approach anyone they suspect may be linked to the case, but to report information directly to investigators.
Anyone who may have information that could help police locate or identify the suspects is asked to contact the investigating officer, Sergeant Manyaga Freddie, the nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Information can also be submitted anonymously through the MySAPS App.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not released further information about the victim’s condition after he was abandoned or whether he required medical treatment. They have also not confirmed whether the stolen vehicle’s missing battery and spare wheel have been recovered.
For now, the manhunt continues across the Vhembe District as investigators try to trace the four suspects and determine what happened between the time the farm worker was abducted and the moment the Land Cruiser was found in the Limpopo River.
