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WATCH: Senior lawyer dragged into car and kidnapped 'for department's R80m budget'

Charity Nzuza, executive officer of the National Forum on the Legal Profession, and two colleagues were kidnapped outside her home in Centurion on Wednesday afternoon.

They have since been released.

South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi shared video footage of the kidnapping on Twitter.

Vavi told News24 that Nzuza's brother-in-law, Nhlanhla Mkhize, approached him to help find her. Mkhize is the general secretary of the National Union of Civil and Allied Workers.

Vavi then tweeted the CCTV footage of the kidnapping.

Colleague dropped off

In the video, three men pull the two women from their VW Polo and force them into a white Mercedes-Benz.

Mkhize told News24 Nzuza's colleague was dropped off "five minutes" after being kidnapped.

The second colleague was dropped of at a later stage, a senior staff member at the National Forum on the Legal Profession - who prefers to remain anonymous - told News24. 

Mkhize  alleged that the men specifically kidnapped Nzuza to gain access to her department's budget, which is R80m.

This was confirmed by Nzuza's anonymous colleague. 

Nzuza told the men that she did not have access to the money.

The men then withdrew R5 000 from her personal account at around 21:00, and another R5 000 after 00:00.

Child traumatised

The kidnappers then dropped Nzuza at a petrol station and fled.

Mkhize said seven men were involved in the kidnapping.

"She is traumatised," Mkhize said. "Her 15-year-old son was also severely traumatised by the kidnapping, as well as her mother."

Mkhize couldn't speculate as to who was responsible for the kidnapping.

A case has been opened with the police, Mkhize said.

Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo could not confirm the incident.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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