Sharp Rise in Municipal and Contractor Vehicle Hijackings Hinders Service Delivery, eThekwini Claims

• The eThekwini municipality said the spike in hijackings of municipal vehicles is impacting service delivery negatively
• The municipality claimed that at least 95 vehicles had been hijacked in the current financial year
• The eThekwini Metro Police arrested six men for possessing car parts that were allegedly from stolen municipality fleets

DURBAN - The eThekwini municipality claims that the recent spike in the hijacking of municipal and contractor vehicles is negatively impacting service delivery.

Municipal vehicle hijacking spike in eThekwini

The municipality revealed that no less than 95 vehicles had been stolen in the current financial year, with the number rising daily.

A report from IOL indicated that more than 110 vehicles had been hijacked, according to the head of City Fleet, Malcolm Joshua.

Read also

SAPS VIP Protection Unit That Allegedly Beat Up 3 Men Were Assigned to Paul Mashatile, Mzansi in Disbelief

eThekwini said the numerous hijacking incidents have left municipal employees physically and psychologically scarred, TimesLIVE reported.

The areas that have recorded the most hijacking incidents include Mayville, Folweni, Umlazi, Kwamashu, Inanda, Zwelibomvu, Hammarsdale and KweNdengezi.

In light of the increased hijackings, the police have increased their efforts to bring carjackers to justice.

eThekwini police arrest 6 men for possessing parts stolen from municipal fleet

Six men were arrested after being found with car parts allegedly stolen from the eThekwini municipality's fleet.

The men were caught red-handed while stripping and loading the municipal vehicle parts for transport to another location. Metro police spokesperson Col Boysie Zungu confirmed the arrests.

eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda applauded the metro police for bringing the six men to justice and urged communities to work with law enforcement to bring hijackers to book.

Read also

Police call for 3 men allegedly beaten up by SAPS VIP Protection in viral video to come forward

KZN man thwarted attempted carjacking while dropping off girlfriend, shoots and kills would-be hijacker

In another story, Briefly News reported that a KwaZulu-Natal man fatally shot a suspected hijacker to protect himself and his girlfriend from a carjacking.

The man was dropping off his girlfriend in Richmond Farm, Ntuzuma, at 2am on Wednesday, 21 June, when a gang of three armed men approached his vehicle and pointed a firearm at him.

The man did not hesitate to produce his own gun, firing multiple shots at the would-be hijackers, IOL reported.

Source: Briefly News