• Mazwi Kubheka walked to safety after being freed by kidnappers and later arrived at Vosloorus police station following his abduction on 2 April.
• Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said community protests played a key role in his release while police continue investigating possible links to organised crime.

Mazwi Kubheka is finally home after a terrifying kidnapping that left his family fearing the worst.

The spaza shop owner was abducted on 2 April while on his way to the bank. His captors demanded ransom money and threatened to kill him if his family did not pay.

After days of fear, Kubheka was suddenly released at an unknown place on the East Rand.

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Alone and shaken, he walked until he reached Carnival City. There, he convinced a motorist to help him get to the Vosloorus police station.

He arrived there on Saturday evening, bringing relief to his family and community.

His sister, Nonhle Kubheka, said he was taken to hospital before returning home early on Sunday.

But she said the man who came back is not the same.

"The person that I saw yesterday, it's not my brother that I know. He is a very soft person but he is angry, and at the same time he is terrified," said Kubheka.

Kubheka told his family he was blindfolded the whole time and does not know where he was kept.

He also said a protest march by community members made his captors angry and more aggressive.

Residents had marched on Friday, demanding his safe return.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the community played a big role in bringing Kubheka home.

"This moment belongs to the community. It's them that raised the alarm and marched," said Lesufi.

Police are still investigating the case and have not made any arrests.

They are also trying to find out if the kidnapping is linked to a group targeting spaza shop owners.

For now, Kubheka remains in hiding, still living in fear after his ordeal.