Shocking twist to kidnapping of F1 powerboat star Wynand de Jager's daughter

Amy-Lee de Jager. Photo / Supplied

The family of a six-year-old girl who was the victim of a brazen kidnapping in front of the gates of her South African school have confirmed that one of the alleged offenders is a teacher at the same school.

Amy-Lee de Jager was snatched from her mother's arms outside the Kollegepark primary school in Vanderbijlpark about 70km south of Johannesburg, on Wednesday (NZ time) as she and her five-year-old brother Jayden were being dropped off.

According to South African media reports, the girl's kidnappers demanded a ransom of R2 million ($210,000) for her release from Wynand de Jager, Amy-Lee's father and an F1 powerboat racer on the international circuit.

The little girl was found distraught and in tears by a couple at 2.30am (local time) in a deserted street, 19 hours after being taken.

A man and a woman took her to the Vanderbijlpark police station where she was reunited with her parents.

On Friday (NZ time) South African police confirmed the arrest of three suspects – two women aged 27 and 40, as well as a 50-year-old man at a house in Vanderbijlpark, following a province-wide manhunt.

In a statement, police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said one of the suspects are known to the de Jaager family.

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Wynand de Jager confimed to news24.com that "one of the suspects is indeed [a teacher at the school]".

"She is known to me and my family," de Jager said. "I wish to make it clear that my family had no hand in this."

The suspects were expected to appear in court overnight.