Police and security companies have warned of an increase in hijackings in South Africa, particularly at on- and off-ramps for various freeways.
While this problem is felt across the country, Gauteng experienced the highest year-on-year increase in vehicle crimes, according to data from the South African Police Services (SAPS).
Stay on high alert
The latest crime statistics released by the SAPS for the third quarter of the 2023/2024 period showed that at least 5,973 hijackings took place over three months nationwide – a daily average of at least 65 vehicles.
Three provinces experienced a “notable” year-on-year increase in hijackings of more than 10%, and Gauteng was the worst affected at 14.4%.
The Western Cape and North West were not far behind at 14% and 11%, respectively, though interestingly KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape actually saw a decline of 17.6% and 5.2%.
The 14.4% increase meant that Gauteng was the site of 3,010 carjacking between October and December 2023, just over half of all cases reported in South Africa.
To put this into perspective, the Western Cape recorded 856 hijackings over the same period while KZN saw 834 cases.
Thokozani Masilela, a representative for the National Community Police Board of South Africa (NCPS), recently spoke to Newzroom Afrika about the key issues surrounding vehicle crime in South Africa, including prominent hotspots for hijacking attempts.
He warned that off-ramps and on-ramps for freeways are popular areas for criminals as these restricted corridors make it far more difficult for victims to escape, especially at peak traffic hours during the week when there are other cars limiting manoeuvrability.
Freeway ramps are also ideal as they are usually not monitored by cameras, which are an effective deterrent to most criminals.
In contrast, petrol stations are risky places for hijackers to pull their stunts as these locations often have multiple cameras, said Masilela.
Shopping malls are a bit different, as it is very rare for criminals to carjack someone at gunpoint at these locations, but there is still a high possibility of car theft while the owners are busy shopping.
Other methods that were highlighted include spike strips and the “tap tap” trap.
An increasingly common sight on South Africa’s motorways are crudely made spike strips that can be as basic as nails sticking out of a piece of wood, which are designed to pop tyres with the goal of making the victim pull over.
When the person stops at the side of the road to assess the damage and replace the tyre, they will quickly be jumped and hijacked.
Criminal spikings are normally done late at night as the darkness helps to conceal the hazard to the driver until it is too late.
The “tap tap” trap, on the other hand, involves hijackers who deliberately drive into a car in front of them.
The intention is to get the victim to pull over and get out to assess damages and swap insurance information, whereupon thieves will jump out of the other vehicle, overwhelm the driver and steal the car.
Join the discussion