CAPE TOWN – On Sunday 27 September at about 15:30, members of the Metro Police’s Anti-Hijacking Unit received notification of a silver Toyota Corolla that had been hijacked in the TT section of Site B, Khayelitsha. Officers responded swiftly and located the vehicle at the intersection of Govan Mbeki Road and Oscar Mpetha Drive.
As officers approached, two suspects abandoned the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. A pursuit followed, resulting in the arrest of four suspects in total – two who had remained inside the vehicle and two who had fled. Among those arrested was a 15-year-old. All suspects were taken to the Harare Police Station.
Mayco member calls for stronger action against syndicates
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, praised the anti-hijacking unit’s response but stressed that more must be done to dismantle the criminal networks behind such incidents.
“It is encouraging to see how effectively the anti-hijacking staff are responding to these incidents. It shows that, when these matters are reported to the City, we can take action. However, we cannot continuously be responding to hijackings and recovering vehicles. The syndicates behind these hijackings must be clamped down on and shut down, similar to the extortion syndicates plaguing these communities. If the police is not willing to do so, then the City should be empowered to act.”
Broader enforcement figures
The hijacking arrest formed part of a wider weekend of enforcement activity across Cape Town’s agencies:
- Metro Police arrested 211 suspects, including 104 for drunk driving, issued 3 819 fines, confiscated drugs and recovered several hijacked vehicles.
- Law Enforcement made 214 arrests and issued 11 521 notices during weekly patrols.
- Traffic officers arrested 51 suspects – 36 for drunk driving, 11 for reckless and negligent driving, and four on other charges. They executed 1 749 warrants, impounded 108 public transport vehicles and issued 42 118 fines.
Spike in weekend incidents
The Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) received 3 020 calls for assistance over the weekend, including 235 assault-related calls and 138 reports of accidents – an increase of more than 58% over the previous weekend’s 87 accident reports.
Smith noted that the City’s call centre and enforcement departments consistently record a sharp rise in incidents around month-end and payday weekends, driven by increased disposable income, alcohol and substance abuse and reckless behaviour.
“I reiterate my request to report lawlessness to our call centre by phoning 021 480 7700 or using the City App to log an incident directly with Safety and Security.”
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