Car hijacked in eMalahleni and recovered in Mbombela
Safety is not guaranteed in the streets of the City of Coal.
A vehicle that was hijacked in eMalahleni has been recovered by police and one suspect has been arrested.
This comes after a woman was hijacked on French Street on Wednesday, August 31.
According to the victim, Ms Mable Chilwane, she was dropping off someone in the area when she was suddenly hijacked by two armed suspects.
She believes she was targeted because she thinks the suspects were following her all the time.
The incident is believed to have occurred around 18:30, when the victim who had only been there for about five minutes, parked on the street.
The two suspects allegedly began their approach by shooting in the air with firearms; one of the suspects shot the car’s window before demanding the vehicle and driving away with the victim’s car.
Chilwane considers herself fortunate to be alive, stating that the incident has left her “very disturbed” and that “I don’t think I’ll drive that car again; I almost died.”
The arrest came after police followed up on leads that indicated the vehicle was enrooted to KwaMhlanga before being rerouted to Mbombela.
According to Chilwane, the one suspect had to make his first appearance in court on Friday, September 2.
Here are some tips from SAPS to avoid carjackings:
* Have your key ready, but not visible.
* Inspect the outside and inside of the vehicle before unlocking ‒ Tyres, number plates, and both sides of the vehicle.
* Know your destination and directions to it, and be alert, should you get lost.
*Always drive with your windows closed and doors locked.
* Make a mental note of any police stations in the vicinity.
* When stopping behind another vehicle, leave half a vehicle length in front of your vehicle to make an emergency escape, if necessary.
* When dropping off a passenger, make sure they are safely in their own vehicle before departing.
* Avoid driving through high crime or unfamiliar areas.
* Avoid driving late at night / early hours of the morning when the roads are quiet.
* Drive in the centre lane, away from pedestrians, where possible.
* If possible, never drive alone.
* Never pick up hitchhikers or strangers.
* Never follow routine routes when driving; change regularly.
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