"I didn't wanna kill her, but just involve [the] police. I will poison her and send you [a] video of her dead. I am watching you, wait for my next instructions or I will kill her."

This was the chilling message sent to a family a week after their daughter was allegedly kidnapped.

Lerato Mosia, 29, was last seen leaving her home in Lehae, south of Johannesburg, on June 9. She was on her way to the Johannesburg CBD.

Her family was plunged into a panic mode when she failed to return home after two days and they could not get hold of her on her phone.

Mmatladi Mosia, Lerato's cousin, told Sowetan that she reported Lerato missing four days later but felt shivers down her spine on receiving the threatening message from Lerato's phone.

"We took it to the police and they told us not to respond to it," said Mmatladi. "They told us they would be investigating a case of kidnapping."

She said their worry grew with each day that passes and they did not know where to start searching for her. "The person who took her contacted us on June 16, a week after her disappearance and threatened to kill her if we went to police."

She added that they feared Lerato was abducted by someone they know and that the person might harm her. "We do not know what this person wants and why they have taken her. We don't know her [Lerato] as someone with enemies that would want to abduct her or harm her.

"This seems like someone who might know her because of the message that they sent to us," Mosia said.

She said the abductor further threatened to kidnap her (Mmatladi) and Lerato's three-year-old daughter, adding that the abductor also sent the family a half-naked picture of Lerato blindfolded and gagged.

"The very least that person could do is tell us what they want. The situation would have been better if they wanted a ransom or something to that effect, but they haven't. They have been quiet."

Police spokesman Captain Hector Netshivhodza confirmed a case of kidnapping was being investigated.