Vryheid hijacking described as ‘beyond strange’

In what is being described as a, “beyond strange,” turn of events, the hijacking that is said to have taken place at the intersection of President and Boeren Streets was never reported to the Vryheid police.

Witnesses told the Vryheid Herald that at least one shot was fired when two men forcefully took the car from a woman, who stopped at the stop sign along Boeren Street at about 10am on Tuesday morning.

The one person, who is believed to have witnessed the entire crime taking place, is employed as a domestic worker at one of the homes along President Street.

While she could not be reached for an interview at the time this article was published, she told her employers that she saw two armed men approach a car and tell the driver to get out.

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“When I heard the commotion, I went outside and my domestic helper told me what she had seen. The entire incident happened in less than a minute. When I looked out, I saw a woman and a girl walking along President Street toward town. I believe they have been the victims in the hijacking. I was flabbergasted that something like this could happen so close to my home,” said the employer of the domestic helper.

Natasha Brits, who was driving along President Street when the incident took place said she heard a gunshot go off and the bullet hit the tar directly in front of her car.

“Our view of what was taking place was obscured by a bus that was parked along the side on the road, so I didn’t actually see what was happening… But if we were driving just a little faster, the bullet that was fired would have hit our car. We didn’t dare stop, we carried on driving,” said Mrs Brits.

“I don’t feel good about the way crime has escalated in town. If you think of all the things that are happening, people getting robbed, hijackings and the remote jamming, It definitely does not feel as safe as it used to be. I think it is very strange that the incident wasn’t reported, unless the victim personally knows the person who tried to harm her.”

The driver of the bus that was parked along the side of road during the alleged hijacking, said he also hadn’t seen what happened.

“When I realised something was happening and looked up, all I saw was two or three men speeding of a silver/grey Polo hatch. I didn’t see what actually happened,” he said.

Communications officer at SAPS Vryheid, Captain Cheryl Venter, said the police could not confirm or deny what had happened as no case had been opened.