Soweto police are searching for five men in connection with the hijacking of retired Banyana Banyana soccer player Portia Modise.
Five gunmen approached the 41-year-old as she was leaving her home in Soweto on Saturday evening. According to police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo, Portia was on the verge of exiting her yard when she spotted the group of young men standing at her gate.
In a report to the news publication Daily Sun, he said: “She asked the suspects to move so that she could drive past. It was then that she was pointed with firearms and hijacked.” It is further reported that the gunmen managed to successfully strip her of her VW vehicle and drove off.
Taking to her social media pages, a distressed Portia shared more of what transpired in the evening.
“My car was taken by young Zulu guys who pointed firearms at me.”
She later appealed to the South African public to be alert and assist her in retrieving her vehicle.
“I’m not okay, guys. I need your help to get my car back.”
“Please, guys, I didn’t sleep at all,” she added.
Despite this, she says that she is extremely grateful to still be alive.
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The incident occurred within a space of weeks since the former soccer player shared a personal testimony on how she managed to overcome the obstacles in her community to ensure that she created a better future for herself while attending a World Drug Awareness Day campaign held in Soweto.
At the event she said: “My community, plagued by poverty, turns to drugs and alcohol for solace, perpetuating a cycle of trauma. This must end.”
“This campaign addresses not just substance abuse, but also mental health. I strongly believe that had I not maintained strong resolve throughout my career, I could have easily succumbed to the harsh realities of our football world.”
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Also see: Ex-Banyana footballer Portia Modise shares how she escaped substance abuse
