23/08/2026
🚨Breaking News ELDERLY CAPE TOWN COUPLE ARRESTED IN ALLEGED CHILD-TRAFFICKING CASE
A 75-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman have been arrested in the Western Cape after they allegedly approached a babysitter in Table View, Cape Town, and offered money to buy the young child in her care.
According to police, the incident was reported after the alleged approach was made. An all-points bulletin was then circulated, with officers searching for a vehicle linked to the suspects.
The search reportedly ended in Melkbosstrand at around 2:30pm on Tuesday, where police located the vehicle and arrested the elderly couple.
Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel André Traut confirmed that the pair are facing charges related to human trafficking and attempted kidnapping.
Importantly, police have not released the identity or age of the child, the amount of money allegedly offered, or what the suspects allegedly intended to do with the child. Those details remain part of the investigation.
The couple are accused at this stage and have not been convicted. Investigators are still working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged incident.
The case has also highlighted the serious issue of child trafficking and exploitation in South Africa. Government figures cited in the report recorded 8,984 child-abuse cases on the National Child Protection Register during the first three quarters of the 2025/26 financial year, including 3,258 sexual-abuse cases.
South Africa's trafficking assessment also reported that 234 trafficking victims were identified and referred for care during the 2024/25 financial year, showing the scale of the challenge facing authorities the biggest takeaway is simple: the quick response after the babysitter reported the alleged incident appears to have helped police locate the suspects the same afternoon.
• The Independent Co - Connecting Online
(As per The Independent Co and the Cape Argus)