MEYERTON – The police in Meyerton have launched an investigation into the hijacking and kidnapping of a truck driver in Wadeville, Germiston. The truck, which originated from Swaziland, was en route to Johannesburg for a scheduled delivery.

Speaking to Ster North, the vehicle owner, John De Castro, said the driver had followed his usual route on July 30 and stopped to rest in Wadeville around midnight.

“Just after 03:00 in the early hours of August 1, we received a panic alert from our tracking company and immediately began searching for the truck,” De Castro explained.

“I became more alarmed when I couldn’t reach the driver by phone.”
De Castro said they noticed the truck was deviating from its route and notified the tracking company. It was eventually located in Meyerton, on Springbok Road in Henley on Klip, by the company’s security team, with the sugar cargo still intact.

“I feared the worst for my driver,” he said. “It seemed he had been abandoned during the ordeal. He just called me and said he walked a long distance before finding help. He may be injured, but I’m relieved he’s alive.”

De Castro also reported that the truck had been damaged during the incident. He believes the suspects attempted to strip parts of the vehicle, likely to locate and disable the tracking device.

Police spokesperson Constable Nompumelelo Zazini confirmed the incident.

“The occupant of the premises where the truck was found claimed it had been dropped off by an unknown male for overnight storage. He also stated that the man left the truck keys with him.”

Zazini added that a charge of possession of a hijacked vehicle has now been included in the case. Investigations are ongoing.