Here are the top 10 hijacking hot spots in SA

Here are the top 10 hijacking hot spots in SA

A comprehensive report capturing crime data from various categories has spotlighted the alarming prevalence of hijackings in specific areas across the nation.

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 HIJACKING HOT SPOTS IN SA

The data, compiled during the second quarter of 2023/2024, provides crucial insights for law enforcement and the public to address and mitigate this trend.

WHERE ARE THE 10 HIJACKING HOT SPOTS FOR SOUTH AFRICA?

• City of Cape Town, Harare
• City of Cape Town, Nyanga
• Gauteng, Protea 
• Gauteng, Moroka 
• City of Cape Town, Philippi
• Gauteng, Orange Farms, Sedibeng
• Gauteng, Tshwane, Olievenhoutbosch
• Gauteng, Bramley
• City of Cape Town, Delft 
• Gauteng, Sandringham 

HERE IS SOME SAFETY TIPS TO KNOW

Here is the 2km from your house strategy:

• Be extra alert. 
• Switch off the car radio and concentrate on your surroundings. If you have noticed any vehicle behind you, use the techniques you have learned during the hijack prevention and survival course to determine whether you are being followed.
• Remember to stop your vehicle just inside the gate and select reverse while waiting for the gate to close. This may create confusion and buy you a few seconds before the gate closes completely behind you.
• Check your driveway and street before you leave or enter your premises.
• Make sure your driveway is well lit and clear from shrubbery where perpetrators can hide.
• Be aware of unknown pedestrians close to your residential address – do not turn into your driveway – pass and go back later.
• Liaise with your neighbours – know them.
• Be aware of vehicles parked close to your address with occupants inside. It might be perpetrators observing the area.
• Be alert if your animals do not greet you at the gate as usual. It might be that the perpetrators overpowered them.
• Phone your home and ask for someone to make sure your driveway is safe and to open and close the gate for you.
• When returning home after dark, ensure that an outside light is on or have someone meet you at the gate. Check with your armed response company if they are rendering rendezvous services.
• If at any time you have to open the gate yourself, switch off the vehicle, leave the key in the ignition, and close the door. Then, open the gate.
• If you have small children in the vehicle, take the key with you (this is the only exception). You then need the key as a “negotiating tool”. The perpetrators want your vehicle, and you want your children.
• If your children are older, it is advised that they exit the vehicle with you when opening the gate so that you are all separated from the vehicle should a hijack occur.

KEEP THESE TIPS IN MIND WHEN PARKING YOUR VEHICLE: 

• Check the rear-view mirror to ensure you are not being followed.
• When exiting your vehicle, be cautious and aware of surrounding obstructions and shrubbery that may be concealing a hijacker.
• Never sit in your parked vehicle without being conscious of your surroundings. Sleeping in a stationary vehicle is particularly dangerous.
• When approaching your driveway, look out for suspicious vehicles or persons. This is very important, as the majority of hijackers approach their victims in home driveways.