In December, a joint effort to rescue a nine-year-old from the clutches of two men who had hijacked a family resulted in success.

Thamsanqa Hadebe (22) and Alfred Mxolisi Shabalala (19) hijacked a family that was travelling along the Giants Castle Road. The family was forced to stop their vehicle when they encountered rocks and tree branches obstructing the road.

“When the father got out of the vehicle to clear the road, the two accused appeared and threatened the family with a firearm, knife and hammer,” explained police spokesperson Captain Charmaine Struwig. The men forced their way into the family’s vehicle and drove around for hours.

“In the late afternoon they stopped at a garage in Ladysmith where the family managed to escape, except for a nine-year-old boy. The accused drove off with the child still in the car and a manhunt then ensued involving police, traffic officers, the public and SA Secure,” added Captain Struwig.

This combined effort saw the men being traced on the N3 and intercepted close to the Wagendrift Dam turn-off.

A swift arrest followed and the child was reunited with his family. More success followed recently when the two men were sentenced. On February 2, the Estcourt Regional Court found the two men guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances and they were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

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