Reservoir Hills Man Shot Dead in Garage Hijacking, Community Calls for Street Patrols
- A Durban man was shot and killed during a hijacking at his Battersea Avenue home after being followed into his own garage
- The Reservoir Hills Community Police Subforum called on residents to join organised street patrols following the fatal incident
- Security firms recovered the hijacked vehicle in a Clermont graveyard, but the RHCPS spokesperson warned that recovery alone is not enough
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Source: Getty Images
KWAZULU-NATAL — A Durban man has died after being shot during a hijacking at his Battersea Avenue property in Reservoir Hills, prompting a community safety organisation to urge residents to take a more active role in neighbourhood security.
According to The Post, the attack occurred on the night of 12 August 2026 when the victim was followed into his garage by armed assailants, who shot him and drove off with his vehicle. Neighbouring residents heard the gunshot and went to investigate, discovering the wounded man. He was transported to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The incident happened days after a gunman shot and killed an ANC councillor in Klaarwater.
RHCPS calls for community street patrols
Reservoir Hills Community Police Subforum spokesperson Lee Maharajh said in the aftermath of the shooting that public safety cannot be left entirely to law enforcement or private security firms. He called on residents to participate in organised street patrols and to operate alongside established security structures.
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"Community security is a shared responsibility," Maharajh said.
He added that he also urged the South African Police Service to increase visible policing in the area, carry out lawful stops and searches, and respond more decisively to crime in Reservoir Hills.
Following the hijacking, Inkosi Security, PT Alarms, Magma Security, and the RHCPS team located and recovered the stolen vehicle in a graveyard in Clermont. Maharajh acknowledged the recovery but stressed it did not represent an adequate response to violent crime of this nature.
Source: Getty Images
Carjackings declining nationally, but KZN remains hotspot
The fatal incident took place against the backdrop of a broader national decline in carjackings. SAPS quarterly crime statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year recorded 3,609 carjacking incidents across South Africa between January and March 2026, compared to 5,402 during the same period in 2022.
KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 446 of those incidents in the first quarter of 2026, with the Umlazi policing precinct ranking fifth nationally at 52 cases. Gauteng remained the worst-affected province with 2,062 incidents, led by Alexandra in Johannesburg at 63 cases. Maharajh urged Reservoir Hills residents to stay alert and cooperate with recognised security structures to prevent further tragedies in the area.
KZN man killed by water tanker
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the ongoing investigation into the tragic death of a 39-year-old man in Mbumbulu following an incident with a municipal water tanker. The eThekwini Municipality and the South African Police Service are working together on a culpable homicide investigation after the vehicle reportedly fled the scene.
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Source: Briefly News
