Police are investigating a case of kidnapping and assault against television personality Zandi Nhlapo.

The Cooking Gospel presenter, pictured, allegedly kidnapped and beat up her cousin M'fiso Nhlapo for stealing a generator from her Northcliff, Johannesburg, house.

Nhlapo and two accomplices allegedly gave M'fiso the beating of his life, and dragged him along the road while tied to a car until he passed out.

M'fiso told Sowetan they then grabbed him by his testicles, squeezed them with a lock and beat them with a hose pipe.

He said his troubles started after he stole a generator from Nhlapo's house where he had been hired to do renovation work.

"I stole her generator and later told her and gave it to her when she came back home."

M'fiso said Nhlapo then called her friend and two employees who gave him a beating. He alleges that the next day Nhlapo and her accomplices kidnapped him and kept him at a house in Meadowlands, Soweto. "They then lit a fire and tried to put it on my private parts. They then dragged me with a car. I fainted and woke up in pain on the way to Zandi's house."

M'fiso said he was later tied to a tree and beaten up some more, but managed to flee after Nhlapo gave her accomplices R100 to buy booze.

He was later taken to Lillian Ngoyi Hospital after relatives called an ambulance.

"I'm in a lot of pain," he said.

"They came here [on Wednesday] to apologise . They asked that I drop the case, I agreed .and said they [must] pay my medical expenses. Two of the men were my friends but not anymore," he said.

But Nhlapo pleaded ignorance when approached for comment yesterday. "That sounds like movie stuff. I do not know what you are talking about," she said.

Police spokeswoman Constable Thuli Ngwenya confirmed they were investigating a case against Nhlapo and two others.

mashotol@sowetan.co.za