Jozi the carjack capital
HAD QUARTER OF THE CASES REPORTED IN LAST QUARTER OF 2023
The tragic death of Kaizer Chiefs central defender and Olympian Luke Fleurs made international headlines this week and put the spotlight again on the scourge of violent hijackings in SA.
Fleurs was shot and killed on Wednesday in a hijacking in the northern Johannesburg suburb of Honeydew. He had turned 24 on 1 March.
Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni appointed a team of seasoned detectives to search for the talented footballer’s killers. They allegedly made off with his Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI sports hatchback.
According to a police report, Fleurs was waiting to be served by an attendant at a petrol station.
He had proudly shared acquiring his sporty ride with his Instagram followers in October last year after joining Kaizer Chiefs from SuperSport United.
A new Golf 8 GTI sells for R669 300 and is the “bigger brother” of the VW Polo, which is a firm favourite among hijackers.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said Fleurs was allegedly confronted by two armed men who are believed to have pulled into the service station in a white BMW 1 Series.
The suspects allegedly pointed a firearm at him and pulled him out of his vehicle before shooting him once in the upper body.
One of the suspects then drove off in the soccer player’s car, followed by his accomplice.
Fleurs was taken to the nearest medical care centre where he was certified dead on arrival. No arrests have been made yet. Police are appealing to anyone who might have information that can help in the investigation or assist in the apprehension of the suspects to please call their nearest police station or crime stop on 08600-10111.
In the past, Honeydew and Roodepoort topped the list of areas most targeted by hijackers in Gauteng.
According to the quarterly crime statistics released in February, carjacking had increased by 6.5% year on year, with half taking place in Gauteng.
The statistics showed that, from October to December 2023, there were 5 973 vehicle hijacking cases in SA. Of them, 3 010 (50%) took place in Gauteng.
Crime hub manager at the Institute for Security Studies Lizette Lancaster told News24 there were on average 62 hijackings a day. The number had doubled over 10 years.
Lancaster said there were hotspots for hijacking, with almost half of all reported cases occurring in Gauteng. Of those, about half happen in Johannesburg.
Seven most hijacked vehicles
According to Fidelity Services Group chief executive Wahl Bartmann, vehicle hijackings is largely a business driven by supply-and-demand on the black market.
About 30% of stolen and hijacked vehicles were taken across the border into neighbouring countries, he said.
The crime statistics for October 2021 to September 2022 revealed a whopping R4.9 billion worth of vehicles were taken across the border. That’s nearly what it cost to build the Mall of Africa.
The seven most hijacked cars for 2023 were:
▶ Toyota Fortuner (GD6 and D4D);
▶ Toyota Hilux (GD6 and D4D); Toyota Corolla Cross;
▶ Toyota RAV 4;
▶ VW Polo (especially hatchbacks);
▶ Nissan NP200; and
▶ Ford Ranger (double and single cabs).
Slain soccer player’s G8 the big brother to Polo, coveted by thieves.
R4.9 bn worth of vehicles taken across border
No-one spared
Last November, Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga fell prey to a hijacking incident.
The tyres of the minister’s vehicle were punctured by spikes placed on the N3 highway, south of Johannesburg, enabling the criminals to rob the occupants of valuables,” the transport department said in a statement.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said at the time the hijackers got away with personal belongings and two SA Police Service pistols.