Arrest made after Franschoek hostage drama

A 17-year-old suspect will appear in the Paarl Magistrate Court in the Boland today in connection with the weekend’s hostage drama in Franschhoek. Thirty-six-year-old Nedbank employee Alta Pretorius and her 17-year-old daughter Diane were allegedly strapped with what police say were fake bombs. Pretorius was instructed to fetch money from the bank's vault while the suspect remained in their flat with Diane. But she could not find the drop-off point and returned the money to the bank. When Pretorius returned to the flat, the suspect had disappeared. Police spokesperson Randall Stoffels says the youth will be charged with attempted robbery.