Deputy minister Nzuza hijacked in Midrand

The national South African Police Service (SAPS) Brigadier Vish Naidoo confirmed on Friday that home affairs deputy minister Njabulo Nzuza was hijacked at gunpoint on Thursday.

It was reported that the deputy minister was hijacked in a Range Rover at approximately 16:25pm by two gunmen in Midrand.

Nzuza was reportedly driving from a shopping centre in the area when he was followed and stopped by men driving in a blue Volkswagen GTI-Golf with flashing blue lights, according to Naidoo.

“Two men carrying handguns approached the deputy minister and forced him out of the driver’s seat and then onto the floor of the back seat. They drove around with him, withdrawing money from different automated teller machines,” Naidoo said in a statement.

The Brigadier further said the men then drove with Nzuza for a “very long time”, before dropping him off in Mamelodi West and fleeing with his blue Range Rover, with the registration HD-75-KH-GP.

Naidoo also called the public who may have any information about the suspects to contact them via the crime stop number or MySAPSApp.

“All information will be treated in confidence and people are allowed to give anonymous tip-offs,” he said.

The hijacking also prompted some responses from Twitter users after anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee first reported the crime on Thursday evening.

The minister was last in the news in April when he released a written apology to EFF leader Julius Malema for in 2018 having accused the EFF leader of corruption during his time as the president of the ANC Youth League, where Nzuza is the secretary-general.

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