Hijack van ends up in home
Driver loses control of stolen bread van while being chased by angry mob
This is easily the 20th time I have been involved in something like this
AHIJACKING in New Brighton was foiled by a group of residents who chased down the two suspects, causing them to lose control of the stolen vehicle which then ploughed into a pensioner’s home.
Wendo Notshoba, 70, woke up yesterday to the sound of the truck crashing into the verandah of her Nobatana Street home.
The incident occurred at about 7.30am after bread delivery driver Moosa Mohammed, 42, was hijacked by two men while loading the truck.
Mohammed said the men approached him, armed with a knife and a gun. The man with the knife pulled him from the driver’s seat.
The pair then drove the stolen truck down Nobatana Street.
However, residents, fed up with crime in the area, chased the men down the road.
In an attempt to evade the mob, the 34-year-old driver opted to turn left into Kulati Street but lost control of the vehicle and crashed through Notshoba’s perimeter fence and into her home.
The residents restrained him until police arrived.
The other suspect managed to escape.
“I was sleeping and the next thing there was a loud bang,” Notshoba said.
“I came out of the room and saw that the front door had been pushed open by the impact. I went to the door and was shocked to see a truck on the stoep.”
The front section of her home is currently supported by the front end of the truck and she fears for her safety and that of her 20-yearold grandchild, Qaqamba, who lives with her.
“I am very worried because if they reverse the truck out, the front roof and wall will collapse. Now I can’t even close the door properly because the whole front of the house shifted due to the impact.”
Mohammed said it was the fourth time in the space of about a year that he had been involved in an attempted hijacking.
“I have been delivering bread in this area for about nine years now, and this is easily the 20th time I have been involved in something like this. I have even been shot,” Mohammed said, showing the bullet wound.
“Things are getting worse by the day. These criminals have no fear and the police aren’t helping the situation.
“I have lots of case numbers for these incidents but there have been no arrests.”
Notshoba’s son-in-law, Ndyebo Magele, 48, said: “I have written to the municipality on several occasions asking to have guard railings installed at houses at this intersection, because cars have crashed into them, but I haven’t had any response.
“What now of this gogo’s [grandmother’s] house? She is a pensioner, she doesn’t have insurance or the means to fix the mess.
“Who is responsible now – certainly not her [Notshoba] but she has to sit with the consequences.”
Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge confirmed that the residents had apprehended one of the suspects, who would now face a charge of hijacking.
Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said: “The municipality is involved in a programme to install traffic calming measures in a number of areas, more especially the townships.
“This is done as per assessment by traffic management, roads and transport directorate and also as per request by affected residents.
“The ward-based plan and budget of the area will indicate the time of construction of the necessary traffic measures in the area.
“However, the community must stay in close contact with their ward councillors so that they can stay abreast of the developments.”