State Technicians Fixing Roads in Flood Hit KwaZulu Natal Held at Gunpoint and Robbed of Government Vehicle

• KZN department officials were held at gunpoint and a state-owned white Ford Ranger double-cab bakkie was stolen
• The suspects fled in the stolen vehicle and a case of carjacking is under investigation by police in the area
• Minister of transport, community safety and liaison Peggy Nkonyeni calls on the public to assist with solving the case

DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal Department technicians who were tending to a road that was destroyed during the recent floods in the province were hijacked near Umlazi, Durban on Wednesday 27 April.

The department officials were held at gunpoint and the suspects fled in the stolen white Ford Ranger double-cab bakkie. A case of carjacking is being investigated by SAPS.

Transport, community safety and liaison MEC Peggy Nkonyeni appeals to the public for assistance in solving the case. More than 1000 roads have been damaged throughout the province and department teams are working hard to rebuild the infrastructure, TimesLIVE reported.

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Nkonyeni the teams condemned the criminal behaviour and called for the preparators to be severely punished. She called on the public to help locate the criminals and protect government employees and their equipment.

There have been several other cases where service delivery was halted due to theft and hijackings. IOL reported that six state vehicles were recovered in different areas and four suspects were arrested in connection with the theft.

South Africans appalled by the hijacking

@samuelndebele4 commented:

“They’re floating in floods but they manage to loot, technicians try to fix their destroyed infrastructure they rob them, what’s wrong with people of that province, help me understand.”

@AndzaNzl wrote:

“So vele after this floods KZN people protested against heavy rain? Yhoo.”

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@Ladonadici posted:

“You must be joking no way. Something needs to be done urgently to resolve this crime rate.”

@LyndaJane8 stated:

“That’s when you walk away from the repairs and not go back for a couple of months.”

@theboffin6 wrote:

“KZN needs strong prayers.”

@Jane76225404 added:

“Some people should not build again and everything will break and be stolen and robbed if not done by the right people. You keep on using the same to build and the same things will happen.”

Gauteng woman survives attempted hijacking in Cullinan, new hijacking hotspot identified

Briefly News also reported a Gauteng woman narrowly escaped with her life after she was shot during a botched hijacking on Saturday, 2 April in Cullinan.

According to Emer-G-Med spokesperson Kyle van Reenen, the woman was shot at around 9pm and when the paramedics arrived on the scene, they found her in critical condition.

The paramedics then made the decision to airlift the woman to a hospital with the assistance of a Netcare911 aeromedical helicopter to a facility where she was given intensive care. According to TimesLIVE, the South African Police Service is now investigating the incident.

Source: Briefly News