Bitter sweet endings in two carjackings

Cape Town Central police are investigating a case of hijacking after a driver was allegedly held up by two suspects in Adderley Street on Saturday night, August 24.

The man was forced to drive to Mowbray where the hijackers took over the vehicle, covered his head with a bag and dropped him off in Philippi.

According to Cape Town Central police spokesperson, Captain Ezra October, the driver had dropped off a client in Adderley Street when two men approached him and produced a gun.

Captain October said the vehicle was later found in Philippi by police, completely stripped and the matter is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, an attempted carjacking the very next day, Sunday August 25, ended off on a more positive note, after alert City Central Improvement District (CCID) security guards chased down the suspect and recovered the vehicle.

The incident took place in Lower Long Street in the early hours of the morning, when an e-hailing driver dropped off a customer outside an Airbnb, according to a statement by the CCID.

While the driver assisted the passenger with their baggage, the suspect jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off.

No one else was in the vehicle and no force was used.

The man sped up in Long Street, but was compelled to stop at a traffic intersection, panicked, and jumped out of the vehicle.

A CCID security guard on patrol saw the man abandon the vehicle and run away, and he pursued him while calling for back-up from colleagues. He managed to stop him in his tracks and was joined by the taxi driver and a CCID Law Enforcement Officer.

The thief was arrested and taken to Cape Town Central police station where he was arrested for carjacking, and the vehicle was recovered.

CCID safety and security manager Jurie Bruwer, praised the vigilant officers for their quick response, however, said the incident was not a hijacking in the true sense as the driver was not forced out of his vehicle, and it was stationary at the time. There were also no weapons involved.

“We have very few, if any, real hijackings in the Cape Town CBD. This was an isolated incident by an opportunistic criminal which took place in the early hours of the morning. No one was injured. We are not concerned about this kind of crime as it is very rare in our footprint, and we do not see it escalating.”

Captain October said the incident was reported, but no case has been laid by the complainant.