PIENAAR – Criminals seem to have taken advantage of Eskom’s continued load-shedding periods, especially on public roads surrounding this area.
This has heightened criminal activity as continuous power cuts have left streets and homes in the dark.
According to Lt Jabu Ndubane,spokesperson for the local SAPS, motorists are being targeted and robbed during these times.
“We had opened two cases of hijackings which happened when there was no power on the road around 22:00,” Ndubane said. She explained that the first incident occurred last Tuesday around 22:30 when a Corsa bakkie was hijacked at gunpoint.
The second took place on Monday when a Mercedez-Benz was also hijacked at gunpoint. The driver parked near a traffic light at Lehawu.
“He and his female colleague were held at gunpoint and ordered to lie down on the road while the criminals wearing balaclavas robbed them of their belongings including rings and an undisclosed amount of money,” she said. None of the suspects had been arrested and the vehicles have not yet been found.
“We hereby sensitise our community to be on the alert, don’t stop anywhere where is not safe to do so and avoid giving lifts to strangers at night,” she said.
