Ntwaagae Seleka

Ntwaagae Seleka

A 26-year-old woman from Orange Farm in the Vaal has been arrested for sending police on a wild goose chase after claiming that her lover had assaulted and kidnapped her friend.

She now faces a charge of defeating the ends of justice.

Police at Orange Farm launched a massive manhunt on Wednesday that went from the Vaal to Johannesburg and Soweto.

The "desperate" woman had told police that her lover had assaulted, strangled and kidnapped her friend.

Orange Farm police spokes- man Captain Anver Hammond said yesterday: "We reacted very fast, obviously thinking her friend was in danger or could be killed."

A police team rushed to Bruma in Johannesburg, where the boyfriend was supposedly holding the woman hostage.

Hammond said four police cars and eight policemen rushed to Bruma but the "kidnapper" was not there.

"Our members rushed to Soweto with the woman and found her boyfriend at his home, relaxed," said Hammond.

He was taken to Moroka police station and a police forensic unit from Pretoria was called to inspect his car.

Hammond said while at Moroka, the woman's brother arrived and told police the whole thing was a hoax.

"The woman confessed that she was lying because she had not slept at home for three days and was scared her lover would kill her," said Hammond.

Her boyfriend was released.

The woman is expected to appear in the Vereeniging magistrates' court today.

"She wasted our time, money and resources so we want to send a strong message to the public not to take the police for granted," said Hammond.