Hijack victim happy to have his wheels back

Thuthukani Mhlongo has a stern warning for motorists, after his harrowing recent ordeal at the hands of a hijacker.

“When driving, keep your doors locked,” he implores. “Keep your windows closed and be alert of your surroundings. Be awake.”

Placing his head in his hands, Mhlongo recalled how his life changed on the night of June 17. He looked up and still smiled, at the realisation he had escaped a life threatening situation in one piece, and somewhat miraculously, even managed to get his car back.

On the night in question, Mhlongo was driving near the Utrecht Street rank when he pulled over to make a call.
It was approximately 10.30pm and Mhlongo made his call with his car still idling and the doors unlocked, admitting he was distracted and not fully focused on his surroundings.

A stranger approached his vehicle, asking for a lift to the location. Mhlongo waved the man away and continued his conversation. It was only when the stranger opened the passenger door and climbed into the vehicle that he realised the person, now in the vehicle, was armed.

“He pointed the gun at me and I just dropped the phone,” he recalled. “With the gun pointed at my head… Do you know how hard it is to drive with a gun pointed at your head?”

Mhlongo continued, saying the stranger forced him to drive to Bhekuzulu, and when they had arrived, was directed to an area near the Roman Catholic Church.

“There was a small bridge near a bushy area. He told me to stop there and get out of the car, then he ordered me to to take off my clothes. I was busy taking off my shirt – it was really cold, but as I was taking it off, another car approached. The hijacker was distracted and I saw my opportunity to escape.”

Mhlongo ran until he saw another vehicle and asked the driver for help. After briefly explaining the ordeal he had somehow escaped, the driver assisted with a lift to the nearby police station.

“I explained to the police what happened, and was a little disappointed when they said they did not have a vehicle available to help me at the time,” explained Mhlongo. “But they managed to call my dad. When he arrived, a police van also arrived and the police were then able to assist. So we set out, in the direction of Hlobane to look for the car. I went with the police and my father went in his own vehicle.”

Mhlongo said at one point, they spotted a vehicle similar to his and gave chase all the way to Pongola.
After eventually discovering this was not in fact his missing vehicle, Mhlongo was ready to give up and made the return trip to Vryheid to give his official statement. He was resigned to the fact that he would probably never see his car again.

The following day, Mhlongo contacted Vryheid Neighbourhood Watch, in hopes its members might be willing to keep a lookout for his car. He provided the registration details and case number, and a ‘Be On Look Out’ (BOLO) was broadcast.

Later that afternoon, to his absolute surprise, Mhlongo received correspondence to say his vehicle was at a local police station after being discovered, relatively undamaged in Vryheid east. The keys were missing however.

“I was so happy, I nearly ran all the way there. I am really grateful to Vryheid Neighbourhood Watch. They gave me hope in a hopeless situation, and treated me with kindness. I also want to thank my dad and the police who responded, and Mr Nxumalo from Vispol at Ulundi. You guys were great.”

Concluding his harrowing story, Mhlongo placed his hands together as if in prayer and added: “When he pointed the gun at me the first time, I just thought ‘take everything, just not my life’, and prayed ‘God help me’ – and He did.”
Chris Marais, Communications Officer for Vryheid Neighbourhood Watch, explained after the BOLO was broadcast, members drove around and looked for the vehicle.

He advised residents as follows: “Let us [Vryheid Neighbourhood Watch] know as soon as possible if something like this happens, so we can jump to start looking.”

Also read: Misfit mugger meets his match at Vryheid Cemetery

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