Thieves targeting hitchhikers in Limpopo a cause for concern
In one incident, a woman was raped and killed when she offered two unknown men a lift on the Georges Valley road. The car was later found burned in Letsitele.
POLOKWANE – The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has urged people in the province to resist the temptation of engaging in hitchhiking and giving lifts to hitchhikers following three separate incidents of armed robbery and murder.
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The warning follows an incident last Thursday (October 19) where a 55-year-old man was robbed of all his belongings after hitchhiking near Mall of the North to Ga-Dikgale
Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said three unknown suspects drove in the wrong direction, stopped the vehicle and produced pistols and a knife.
“The suspects robbed the victim of all his belongings which included a cellphone, a wallet with cash amounting to R400 and bank cards all valued at R5 400. The man was ordered to run to the bushes before the suspects drove off in a Suzuki Swift hatchback,” his statement read.
The following day, two victims, aged 24 and 25-years-old respectively, hitchhiked from Westenburg to Steiloop and Lephalale in a silver Toyota Tazz and were also robbed of their belongings.
“The driver also drove in the wrong direction, produced a firearm and robbed both victims of their belongings which included cellphones, licenses, bank cards and all other valuable items amounting to R7 000,” Ledwaba said.
In the last incident, a woman was raped and killed by two unknown men along the Georges Valley road on October 13.
Ledwaba said the female motorist and a man offered two unknown men a lift who then raped and killed the driver before the vehicle was found burned in the Letsitele policing area.
“People who knock off from work very late should make use of public transportation, clubs or staff transport instead of hitchhiking in order to reduce and prevent these incidents,” General Hadebe said.
Ledwaba confirmed that all three incidents are under investigation and that no arrests have been made as yet.
“We are calling on anyone with information on these incidents to contact their nearest police station, the crime stop number or use the MySAPSApp,” he said.
