WARD 18 councillor, Melanie Brauteseth, was involved in an attempted hijacking around 7pm near McDonald’s in Pinetown on Tuesday, 22 November.
Brauteseth said she decided to treat her daughters to a McDonald’s dinner that evening. After purchasing dinner, she exited the parking area into Crompton Street.
“I was watching the traffic on the left and before I knew it, two men dived through my driver’s window. One switched off my vehicle and the other was thrashing around trying to grab everything he could. I tried to start my car, but it stalled. I managed to hit him multiple times and scare him off. Unfortunately, I lost my cellphone and got a good knock in the face for my trouble,” she added.
She believes it was her fault for having her window open after visiting the drive thru. “It was a silly mistake and I urge all motorists to be extra careful in that area,” said Brauteseth.
Lt Bongumusa Manqele of Pinetown SAPS said Pinetown central is notorious for crime, especially hijackings. He urged motorists to be vigilant and keep their doors and windows closed at all times.
