Hijackings on the rise in Milnerton area
Public warned of random attacks; lack of policing blamed
IN THE last four months, hijackings in the Milnerton area have spiked, with three being reported in one day last month.
Milnerton Community Policing Forum chairperson Lianne Lippert said hijackings were increasingly becoming a problem and that lack of policing was to blame.
“We have no SA Police Service in the area because they are focusing on one area, and other areas are open game. They focus a lot on Dunoon, leaving the rest of the precinct (including Brooklyn) with one van,” Lippert said.
There were three hijackings in the Milnerton area last month, taking place between 8pm and midnight, said Lippert, adding that residents were fearful.
“We suspect that it is random because it’s different types of vehicles involved, but I could be wrong. The majority (of attacks) appear to be aimed at cars that stop at robots and stop signs.”
She said residents were urged not to drive at “random times at night”.
“We have a Tygerhof resident shot in a hijacking in Joe Slovo and he was badly injured. Criminals hide out… we have a huge homeless problem and criminals hide out among these people.”
The latest incident involved Ana Pictures photographer Ayanda Ndamane, who was hijacked in the early hours of Sunday morning while travelling on Koeberg Road from Table View around 2.30am.
Ndamane said he noticed two women in the road: “One looked injured and the other one looked like she was flagging cars down to stop and help. I was sceptical, but I looked around and thought it’s women and you know we have a soft spot and I stopped. Then one (woman) jumped in the front seat and a man jumped in at the back behind me.”
Ndamane said he was not sure what the man held at the back of his head, but he was directed to drive into side streets in Brooklyn. There he was beaten by the man, who was joined by at least three other men, and he was pulled from his vehicle.
“They wanted to pull me into this house, but I refused. There was no way I was going to die there,” he said
He managed to get his phone and his camera bag, he said.
“I have no idea how I got the speed to run with that heavy camera bag. I just ran. I ran back to Koeberg Road and an Uber driver stopped for me and took me to the police station,” Ndamane said.
He said he was unhappy with the service at Milnerton police station, who only took his statement seven hours later.
“I went back with them to where it happened and was able to positively identify one of the women. They (police) took her fingerprints and let her go.”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed the incident.