01-07-2025
Residents traumatised as armed hijackings surge across eMalahleni
A disturbing spike in carjacking incidents across eMalahleni has left residents traumatised and authorities on high alert, following four reported cases in less than one week.
On June 27, a man was visiting a friend in Klarinet, and on his way back, he agreed to give a lift to two acquaintances at around 02:30.
While an route, one of the men allegedly pulled out a firearm and threatened him, before stopping on the roadside. The victim was robbed of his phone and cash, and then abandoned while the suspects drove off with his vehicle.
In another incident, a man was returning home on June 26 at 22:20.
He was sitting in his silver Nissan Hardbody with a neighbour, when two men opened the car doors and allegedly pointed a firearm at them.
They were forcefully pulled out of the car while the engine was still running.
The armed man drove away with the vehicle, which had no tracker or insurance.
Captain Eddie Hall, spokesperson of Witbank Police shared the following tips to avoid carjackings: 'Keep vehicle doors locked and windows closed at all times. Never leave your vehicle unlocked, even if stepping away momentarily. Avoid stopping in remote or poorly populated areas. Park in well-lit and secured locations. If a stranger approaches your vehicle, open the window no more than 5cm to speak.'
According to police, on June 25, a man was waiting with a friend outside a residence for his girlfriend.
Upon her arrival, they became the victims of a violent carjacking when two unknown men approached their white VW Polo TSI.
One of the men approached the driver while allegedly pointing a firearm at him.
The driver didn't want to comply and got shot by one of the carjackers.
They then forced the other two victims into the back seat. The injured driver managed to escape and seek help at the nearby gate.
The armed men sped off with the girlfriend still inside the car.
It is not clear what happened to the girlfriend afterward.
In what appears to be a premeditated setup, a victim responded to a call on June 21 from a man identifying himself as 'Mike' requesting transport assistance in Old Coronation.
Upon arrival, two men, believed to be armed, forced their way into the vehicle and allegedly robbed the driver of an undisclosed amount of money via mobile transfer.
They demanded more, coercing him to call his wife and arrange an additional amount of money.
The victim was tied with shoelaces, blindfolded, and abandoned in the bush, while the suspects fled in his white Mazda B-series bakkie.
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