Checkers Sixty60 delivery drivers face a growing security risk as they bear the brunt of brazen criminal attacks, with two separate incidents last week.
In Brackenfell, a Sixty60 driver was hijacked outside a home in Protea Heights on Monday evening, a week ago.
The incident occurred around 20:00 on the corner of Keurboom and Mimosa street. Surveillance footage seen by TygerBurger shows the driver stopping near the front door and dismounting. Moments later, a car with four men inside pulls up alongside him.
Three men jump out, force the driver to his knees, and one rides off on the motorbike while the other two flee in the getaway vehicle. It cannot be seen on the footage whether the suspects were armed.
According to Norman Landry, chair of the Brackenfell Community Policing Forum, two suspects were arrested within an hour and the motorbike recovered.
“It was the first such incident recorded in Brackenfell in the last three months, according to our crime statistics,” he told TygerBurger, adding that many similar incidents go unreported to police.
Stolen bike recovered
In a separate incident on Saturday 25 July a stolen Sixty60-branded motorcycle was recovered in Kraaifontein after a proactive patrol by the Titanium Securitas Crime Prevention Unit.
At approximately 03:45, officers were following up on information in the Kraaifontein area when they noticed an adult male pushing a motorcycle along Van der Bijl Street. When officers stopped to offer assistance, the suspect fled on foot.
A foot pursuit followed, and the suspect was apprehended and escorted back to the motorcycle. Kraaifontein Police Station was notified and a vehicle identification check confirmed the motorcycle was fitted with a tracking device. The suspect and motorcycle were handed over to police for further investigation. The motorcycle’s tracking unit was later recovered at a residence in Fourth Avenue, Belmont Park.
Retail group condemns attacks
TygerBurger approached Checkers Sixty60 for comment on the growing threat facing their riders, asking what statistics the company had on hijackings and robberies targeting delivery drivers in the Cape Town area, whether they had noted an increase in such cases, what the company’s concerns were, and what precautions were being taken to protect riders.
For security reasons, we do not disclose incident statistics or provide commentary on specific crime-related trends.
In a statement, the Shoprite Group said the safety, health and well-being of its employees, customers and delivery partners, including independent contractors such as Pingo drivers, remained a top priority.
“For security reasons, we do not disclose incident statistics or provide commentary on specific crime-related trends,” the company said.
The group strongly condemned all criminal activity, especially acts that jeopardised the safety of those it serves and works with. It said it continued to work closely with law enforcement authorities and encouraged anyone with information relating to criminal incidents to report it via the hotline on 0800 118 879.
Beyond standard onboarding training covering health, well-being, safety protocols and accident procedures, drivers also received training in defensive and anti-hijacking techniques.
ALSO READ: Petrol station targeted twice with drivers not paying for fuel
