POLOKWANE – A local businessman narrowly escaped being hijacked on the corner of Kierieklapper and Genl Maritz Street early Wednesday morning.
According to the management of Edwel community policing forum who did not wish to be identified for their own safety, they received a request for assistance at around 08:30.
The victim, who was driving a BMW sedan was reportedly on his way to work when a white VW Polo pulled in front of his vehicle to block his path.
Two men, one who emerged from the backseat of the Polo, and another who walked from across the road, attempted to pull the victim out of his vehicle.
The victim managed to pull himself away from his two attackers and sped away in his vehicle as the two would-be hijackers fired shots at him, and the driver of the Polo gave chase.
The victim drove to his place of work where he contacted the police,
According to an eyewitness, she was on her way to pick up her grandchild when she heard the sound of a gunshot.
“I saw the Polo spinning away on the pavement and the two men running. I thought the two men had tried to rob the man in the Polo. It was only afterwards that I was told that the two men and the driver of the Polo were involved in an attempted hijacking. I can’t believe this happened so close to me,” she said.
Polokwane police spokesperson WO Lesiba Ramoshaba said the police were still gathering information on what happened and so far a case of armed robbery was being investigated and no arrests had been made as yet. He could not confirm the specific incident described, and which was also shown in a video clip on social media.
Neither the victim nor his employer wanted to speak to Review about the incident.
