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Heads up! Large spike in ‘hair raids’ as criminals target wigs and weaves
One can no longer let your hair down at the taxi rank, so to speak, as wig and weave snatching has become the in-thing.
Wig and weave snatching is showing an alarming increase in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Photo: iStock
In the latest hair-raising crime wave (or is it weave?!) to hit the streets of Johannesburg and Cape Town, wig thieves are combing taxi ranks, train stations, malls and even university campuses for unsuspecting victims.
Dethroning a woman of her “crown” in public is an unthinkable act in itself, but weave and wig snatching has become a common occurrence as criminals increasingly cash in on the lucrative market of reselling premium weaves and wigs.
Only the best: Premium wig and weave snatching on the rise
Mamello Makha, the owner of Mamello Makha Exotic Beauty Salon in Johannesburg, told News24 that some of her shocked clients’ wigs were stolen before they could even reach the taxi rank.
“Clients have told me about their wigs being stolen before they can reach the taxi rank,” she said.
According to Makha whose salon sells premium human hair wigs and weaves, the risk of losing one’s “head candy” was significantly higher during peak hours.
She also explained how the valuation process worked.
“The cost of hair is directly tied to its grade. Higher grades fetch a higher price and offer more versatility in styling,” Makha said.
This grading system also influences the resale value on the underground market.
These days, the coveted hair pieces can set you back between anything from R1 000 to R10 000 depending on the quality and length. Hair extensions made with 100% natural hair cost much more than those made with synthetic material.
ALSO READ: Daily hacks: How to wash and restyle your synthetic wigs
‘I swore at them as I turned to face them with my wig half on my head’
A traumatised Johannesburg woman shared her ordeal with News24.
Zandile Magagula said she was on her way to work with her brand-new 22-inch, Grade 13 Brazilian wig when she was targeted by wig thieves near the Bree Street taxi rank.
“Normally, I put my wig on when I get to the office, but that day I had it on my head because I was excited about my new hair,” she explained.
“I wasn’t far from the rank when two guys walked past me. In mere seconds, I felt my head bobbing backwards and my wig being pulled.
I swore at them as I turned to face them with my wig half on my head, and that’s when the other guy grabbed a handful of hair to remove it completely.
Magagula’s treasured hair piece cost her an eye-watering R3 300.
ALSO READ: Rush-hour ‘shopping’? Smash-and-grab alert for Gauteng motorists
Cape Town incidents
Meanwhile, in Hanover Park in Cape Town, Community Policing Forum (CPF) spokesperson Kashiefa Mohammed said they were concerned about an increase in wig snatching.
According to him, the CPF was told about a woman who was making her way to the nearby taxi rank from work last week when a thug grabbed the wig off her head.
The woman opened a case at the Philippi Police Station.
ANCWL leader’s viral wig-snatching moment
In January last year, a video clip of angry protesters snatching the wig of an ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) leader outside the venue hosting the Eastern Cape leg of the party’s 111th birthday celebrations in Komani, went viral.
Eastern Cape ANCWL task team convener Nokuku Dube can be seen running after the “snatcher” in the video.
In the end, Dube credited the viral wig-snatching moment for saving her life because it helped her get away from the crowd.
