On 20 January 2014 a Pietermaritzburg businessman was allegedly attacked and hijacked outside his premises while in the process of going to the bank to deposit his businesses takings.
It is alleged that at about 09:30 in the morning, the 72-year-old male victim was driving in his vehicle, a Grey Toyota Avanza, and stopped outside his business premises to join Boom Street traffic when he was allegedly confronted by two unknown men, one armed with a firearm. The armed suspect then opened the victim’s door and assaulted the victim with the butt of the firearm. Both suspects then forced the victim out of the car, subsequently kicked him, climbed into his vehicle and sped off taking with them a large amount of cash and cheques.
Members of SAPS Pietermaritzburg Crime Prevention Unit, after receiving the information of the hijacked vehicle, spotted the vehicle in the area and immediately gave chase and with the assistance of the SAPS Pietermaritzburg Tactical Response Unit managed to stop the vehicle at a Taxi Rank along Hoosen Haffejee Street in the City. Police immediately arrested two suspects in connection with the robbery.
The victim’s vehicle, a cheque of approximately four-thousand-rand (R4 000.00) and a small amount of cash was recovered. Further information led police to the arrest of three other suspects in connection with the robbery. A white BMW, believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle, was also recovered. A large amount of cash and various cheques have still not been recovered. The arrested suspects are expected to make a court appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court today, 22 January 2014.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, thanked the members for their dedication and commitment to their work and commended them for the swift arrest of the suspects.