A 60-year-old government employee was ambushed and hijacked outside his home in KwaZayeka, Sweetwaters, sparking fears of a growing syndicate targeting state-owned vehicles in Pietermaritzburg.

The official, who had been working late, was attacked around 18:30 on Tuesday while at his gate. It is alleged that three men, armed with firearms and a hammer, demanded his VW Polo car keys, The Witness reports.

“We are working with the police and trying to trace the car. We hope that it will be recovered,” said the KZN of Agriculture and Rural Development spokesperson Vusi Zuma.

The attackers reportedly approached the official at the gate, one wielding a hammer. After he handed over the keys, they took two of his cellphones.

One suspect fled in the stolen state vehicle while the others followed in a white Hyundai, driving off in a convoy. “We feel that we, as government employees, are not safe,” said Zuma.

“It looks like there has been an increase in hijackings in this area as this is the third car that has been taken in a space of two months.”

The vehicle in the latest incident is assigned to Cedara, while the other two stolen vehicles belong to the uMgungundlovu District Office.

“Clearly, there is a syndicate targeting government vehicles. The health of our people and the issue of food security is our primary concern.

“Hence, they [staff] put their lives at risk going there and make sure that they help the community but these are the problems that we always encounter.”

Calls on local leadership to take action against crime

Zuma has called on local leadership in Sweetwaters to take action, warning that continued crime could lead to service disruptions. “The community might not get services that they deserve due to the level of criminality.”

He also raised concern for the safety and wellbeing of staff, saying some are traumatised and reluctant to return to certain areas. “We are concerned about the high number of cars that get stolen in that area. We are worried about our staff, as they get harmed in some incidents.

“After going through such an ordeal, they suffer a lot, in such a way that you will have a component that tells you: ‘We can’t go into a particular area’,” he added.

Zuma said the incident has again highlighted long-standing concerns raised by MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, who had previously warned of difficulties accessing areas such as Imbali, Inanda, and Umlazi.

“Our people get hijacked in these areas,” she said. “In most cases, our officials go there to render services to the people. Imagine if there is a dog with rabies in the area and our state vets are trying to intervene, and they get hijacked — how many lives are being put at risk?

“It is important for the communities to understand that these cars belong to them and they must safeguard them. The officials are there to help them, not to harm them.”

uMgungundlovu District SAPS spokesperson, Sergeant Sifiso Gwala, said a carjacking case has been opened for investigation.

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