Gauteng Traffic Cop Arrested for Allegedly Hijacking Off-Duty SAPS Officer, Mzansi Outraged by Criminality

• A Gauteng traffic officer allegedly hijacked an off-duty SAPS member and was found in possession of the vehicle
• The suspect attempted to evade arrest twice and was eventually apprehended by members of Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD)
• The man was detained at the Meadowlands SAPS and citizens have expressed their outrage with the high crime

JOHANNESBURG - A Gauteng traffic officer was arrested after he was found in possession of an allegedly hijacked vehicle in Dobsonville, Soweto, on Monday, 31 October.

The 29-year-old was arrested following a high-speed chase after Johannesburg Metro Police (JMPD) members were informed that an off-duty SAPS member was hijacked. The members were informed that the suspects planned to sell the vehicle.

JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the teams were strategically placed at Impala Road in Dobsonville Gardens, and the allegedly hijacked vehicle was spotted. According to TimesLIVE, the suspect drove off when JMPD members attempted to stop the vehicle.

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After stopping the vehicle, the suspect attempted to run off and was caught by the officers. He was found with a firearm and the victim’s cellphone.

The officers eventually discovered that the firearm recovered was a service pistol that was not reported stolen. When the suspect was questioned, he stated that he was an officer.

The suspect’s appointment card and firearm permit were also found in his possession. The suspect was arrested and detained at the Meadowlands SAPS, News24 reported.

Citizens react to the hijacking:

@MaanoMadima said:

“South Africa is a simulation. Example 1 670 832 363 229 of why South Africa is not a real place. A traffic officer allegedly hijacked a cop (police officer).”

@Keith95736141 commented:

“A traffic officer hijacking a policemen’s car. That’s where we are in this country folks. Next, they will be hijackings the blue light brigade.”

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@kgoatlapa posted:

“This is already a quintessentially South African story. All it needs is for the victim, the SAPS officer, to lose the docket to make the case go away.”

@TawawekwaKaseke wrote:

“Joburg is a movie.”

Durban woman hijacked in supermarket parking lot by 4 armed thugs, Mzansi condemns violent incident

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported that KwaZulu-Natal police are investigating a carjacking after a 42-year-old woman had her car and belongings stolen by four men. The incident occurred in a supermarket parking lot and was captured on CCTV.

The carjacking occurred within a few seconds, and the camera footage shows how two men jumped out of the white Volkswagen Polo and accosted the woman before fleeing with her vehicle. The victim looked visibly shaken in the video.

KwaZulu-Natal Police Spokesperson Constable Thenjiwe Ngocbo told News24 that the men were armed and drove off with the vehicle to an unknown location.

Source: Briefly News