Centurion – The whereabouts of 46-year-old businessman Jerry Boshoga remain unknown nearly eight months after he vanished in Rooihuiskraal, Centurion, following a business meeting on 18 November 2024.
Boshoga’s family told SABC1’s investigative show Cutting Edge that he was abducted shortly after the meeting while being driven by his younger brother. He reportedly stepped out of his car, telling his brother to wait for him for a few minutes, but he never returned. Hours later, Boshoga phoned his family, stating he had been kidnapped.
Disturbing video clips emerged in the following days, showing Boshoga being tortured while demanding a ransom. The kidnappers initially demanded R60 million before reducing the amount to R10 million in January 2025. His relatives said they could not raise the money despite exhausting all options.
Boshoga is known as a tender entrepreneur, farmer, and owner of a VIP protection service, with business dealings linked to several controversial figures. Days before his disappearance, he had reportedly purchased a luxury Porsche worth R6 million.
Cutting Edge’s broadcast revealed allegations that Boshoga’s kidnapping may be connected to one of his business associates, Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, who was later arrested in May 2025 on charges of attempted murder. Matlala’s name has surfaced in multiple corruption investigations, including tenders linked to the SAPS and the Tembisa Hospital saga.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi confirmed in a July 2025 press briefing that Matlala’s cell phone records showed contact with politicians, police officers, and businessmen, suggesting links to a criminal network allegedly involved in kidnapping, extortion, and fraud.
Boshoga’s son told Cutting Edge that the prolonged disappearance has forced him to drop out of school, while other family members said the trauma has left them emotionally and financially drained. His wife said they have not received any concrete update from law enforcement agencies, despite the Police Minister’s previous promise to assign a task team to investigate the case.
Questions continue to mount about the involvement of influential figures and why the case remains unresolved. Police have yet to provide fresh leads, and the family has pleaded with the public to come forward with any information that could help locate Boshoga.
Watch the Cutting Edge of the disappearance of Jerry Boshoga
