2 hijacked vehicles found

TWO of the three vehicles hijacked from teachers at ACJ Phakade Primary School in Nomzamo, Strand, have been found abandoned.

Four teachers had just arrived for the day when five armed unknown men entered the school premises and demanded their vehicles at gunpoint on Monday.

One of teachers stood up to them, refusing to get out of her vehicle.

Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said the first vehicle, a Hyundai, was recovered in Macassar by a traffic officer and the second, a Toyota Etios was found abandoned a few meters from the school.

It is believed the main target was the Toyota Fortuner that is still missing. No arrests have been made.

ACJ Phakade Primary principal Thobile Majingo said the incident happened around 7.40am when school was about to begin.

“Two of the five men hijacked the teacher, who drives a Toyota Fortuner. The rest went for three teachers who had small vehicles. One of the three teachers fought and refused to step out of her vehicle and the man only ran away with her car keys,” Majingo said.

He accused the Western Cape Education Department of not being proactive, saying the school did not have security guards before the incident and had applied for a remote control gate in 2016, but the department had been mum.

The incident was the fifth armed robbery at a Cape Town school.

Yesterday Education MEC Debbie Schäfer visited the school. She said the school would receive a motorised gate, which was in the process of being procured before this incident.

“What we need most is more police visibility around schools, in accordance with the agreement between the SAPS and DBE.”