Lerato Mailoane
Police have arrested three suspects in the abduction case of the 11-year-old girl Maha Qassim who was kidnapped outside her school in Mayfair, Johannesburg last year. 
Maha was abducted at gunpoint outside EP Baumann Primary School gates on 17 November 2021 while waiting in line to be sanitized and screened. 
According to Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda members of the Crime Intelligence Anti-Kidnapping Task Team, assisted by the Johannesburg Flying Squad pounced on a house in Devland, Soweto around Tuesday. 
"The girl was rescued unharmed and was taken to a medical facility for medical examination. She has since been reunited with her family," said Netshiunda.
He said suspects found on the scene evaded arrest. However, a 40-year-old man was arrested in Mozambique on Friday, 31 December 2021. Interpol is busy with the extradition process. 
Two other suspects, Ayanda Kekana (50) and Fortune Kambule Ndlovu (36) were arrested in December 2021 in connection with the same kidnapping.  
Their bail application was denied when they appeared at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on 7 December 2021. They will be back in court on Friday.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed the arrest.
"We are delighted to receive this good news of the safe return of this girl learner. We will avail our Psycho-Social Unit to provide additional counselling to her given the trauma she has faced during this unfortunate incident," said Lesufi.