Beware of ‘Spike Gang’ in Tshwane

The “Spike Gang”, which puts spikes in road surfaces to puncture tyres and force motorists to stop so they can rob them, has returned to terrorise Tshwane residents.

Group Against Crime (GAC) founder Juan du Plessis said he is aware of eight spiking incidents reported in Pretoria and Brits in five days.

The devices used include metal spikes, nails and other sharp objects attached to poles or strips that are placed on the road to puncture tyres.

Du Plessis said in the most recent incident, on Wednesday night, taxi passengers were targeted and robbed along the N4 road between Roslyn and Bon Accord, north of Pretoria.

ALSO READ: Police hunt suspects after motorist killed while trying to fix puncture

“Three other vehicles were also spiked on the night, minutes apart. Fortunately, the drivers didn’t stop.”

Du Plessis said he, along with other concerned people, searched the area on foot and tracked the perpetrators to a point 2km further along, where they placed a big rock in the middle of the road.

“A taxi driver drove into the rock and damaged the motor of the taxi. When the taxi stopped, the driver and other occupants were allegedly robbed of cellphones and belongings by three armed men.”

Du Plessis said there appeared to be more than one gang operating between Pretoria and Brits.

“The whole highway at this point is a concern. The N4 from Diamond Hill in the north all the way to the east of Pretoria is a hotspot. Another hotspot is the Cullinan and Mamelodi crossing,” he added.

Cullinan Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair Karen Yssel said the first spike incident in weeks was reported in her area this week.

“At one stage, we had a spike incident daily. It was horrible.”

She has urged motorists to be vigilant while traveling at night and try to stay off the roads at night.

“If you do drive over something and get a puncture, drive as far as possible to get to a safe spot before changing the tyre. Even if you have to drive your rim off,” Yssel said.

Over the weekend, North West police commissioner Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena condemned the alleged execution-style murder of 58-year-old Sello Kgasi in De Wildt in the policing precinct of Mmakau.

“On 2 April at about 12.55am it was alleged that Kgasi was driving from Rosslyn towards Brits in a white Toyota Quantum minibus on the R566 road between Mmakau and Brits, and accompanied by two female passengers,” Kwena said.

The vehicle got a puncture after it drove over spikes that were spread on the road near Solar Panels camp.

“Kgasi allegedly stopped the vehicle to fix the puncture, but was ambushed and shot by two suspects.” Kwena said according to the reports, the suspects – who are still at large – were communicating in the Shona language of Zimbabwe.

Marizka Coetzer