Two recent incidents serve as an eye-opener that the risk of robbery is ever-present for residents in eMalahleni, whether on foot or in their vehicles.

According to the police, on October 30 around 09:00, a man reported that he had been hitchhiking and was lifted by car that had three men.

As he got into the backseat, the man who sat next to him allegedly took out a firearm and pointed it at him, demanding his cellphone.

The man told police that when they checked his banking app and found no money, they resorted to searching his pockets, where they found some cash. They then dropped him off and drove off with his cellphone and the cash.

Another robbery incident occurred in the night of November 2 in which, according to the police, a man said that he had been fixing his car at Old Ogies Road when two men approached him, one of which allegedly carried a knife.

The man got robbed of his cellphone, some cash and his takkies, by the robbers who fled the scene soon after.

Captain Eddie Hall advises people to stop hitchhiking because it may be cheap but it is dangerous.

“Rather consider accessible options for hitchhiking. With a little patience, you will often be able to find at least one acceptable alternative to hitchhiking, such as reliable public transport,” he said.

He added that if motorists experience problems with their vehicles during trips, they should try and drive to a safe and open area where it would be easy to get help should they be targeted by robbers.

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