A police officer was arrested on Monday for kidnapping and extortion after officers accidentally shot and wounded singer Kuli Chana, Gauteng police said.

The officer was a detective from Silverton, Pretoria, Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said in a statement.

"Police have launched a manhunt for five other suspects who were involved in the kidnapping. The police officer will appear at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court within 48 hours," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Dlamini said a case of attempted murder was being investigated after Chana was shot. Police from Bedfordview, Johannesburg, were tracking kidnappers and mistook Chana's luxury sedan for that of the kidnappers.

"It is alleged that as they [police] were trying to stop the vehicle it drove away at a high speed. Several shots were fired and the driver lost control... It was established that the driver had sustained gunshot wounds," said Dlamini.

A case of kidnapping was reported in Bedfordview and the kidnappers demanded a ransom from the victim's family, Dlamini said. The victim's family was instructed to leave the ransom money at the Caltex petrol station on the N1 highway in Midrand.

Bedfordview police arrived at the garage, saw Chana's car, and mistook him for the kidnapper.

An internal investigation was underway.

Chana, whose real name is Khulane Morule, had been discharged from hospital, his publicist Sheila Afari said.

"He is shaken by the shooting as it came out of nowhere and there was no warning from the police whatsoever. He is recovering at home."