South Africa P.I.G.: CARJACK

Showing posts with label CARJACK. Show all posts

Why are SA cops “shocked” at murder and hijacking of British tourist?

<div align="center">Over 700 people have been murdered in Gugulethu since 2005</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540319033938058642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcnYYJzd6GAShaP95pCb4Jx959La22si0lRkcpz6_2GZtmNBnhzVGK1hVJREnA8n1J8vhm4LNOQmQJNF9QH8W0SI9GYqOeMaMBBhjIaRgv6LRLwGVzr9pPai32kKR6UENH6-tEbhuh7Ns/s400/cape-gugulethu.gif" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 173px; CURSOR: hand" /> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540315875350663730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5bf1FFmUJmLLSshLkw0YZcz_NAcz0xxGnewNtU0QTXcixTgkioyurx3ziX22L1X36ElHdUdUV0uzNnFKPBq5NPVE5lmeHh6PPwj0X4foAU0BizflxcIbj5NCqAkiEV3TokL55MQdE_rd/s400/mzoli-meat_1762191i.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: hand" /> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540321530760197650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBd9AO6CnaP4bBVZJer2Gkak5VaAmLSnHuWSyPil-csux5c6j9IChwgx3VwFoRUL0H94z1MSnlPIbEifg4le229mBr3lvnsTDySI8CFn9lafrgSIkVpVxZRsxtFPQ83WL6AfNNyJKQSMy/s400/MZOLI%2527S.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" /> Mzoli's - Gugulethu township in Cape Town an outdoor barbecue restaurant and bar which bills itself as an ‘authentic taste of township life’. Jamie Oliver visited it last year and in a seven-page spread in his magazine, described the food as ‘heaven’ and ‘totally sexy’. He added: ‘In this part of the world, fresh is where it’s at. Just kill it. Gut it. Skin it. Eat it.’ ‘When I go back to Cape Town, I am absolutely going to Mzoli’s.’ The <a href="http://www.sairr.org.za/media/media-releases/Police%20out%20of%20touch%20with%20reality%20over%20Gugulethu%20murder.pdf/view">SA Institute of Race Relations</a> questioned why the South African police were “shocked” at the murder and hijacking of a British tourist. As international and local media agencies have reported a British national and his wife were attacked in the township of Gugulethu on the urban periphery of Cape Town while honeymooning in the city. The couple were kidnapped by armed robbers and the wife was later found murdered. In response to media coverage the <a href="http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71656?oid=211229&sn=Detail&pid=71616">South African Police Force has released a statement</a> expressing "shock" at the murder. The police are out of touch with reality for expressing shock at the murder of a tourist in Gugulethu in Cape Town, the SA Institute of Race Relations said on Tuesday. "Data in the possession of the South African Institute of Race Relations shows that over 700 people have been murdered in Gugulethu since 2005. In the year to March 2010 some 110 murders occurred within the Gugulethu police precinct," the SAIRR said. "This amounts to one murder every two-and-a-half days for five consecutive years. How under such circumstances can the police claim to be ‘shocked’ or surprised at what happened to the British couple?" The SAIRR said if the police were truly shocked, then it suggested that "the police’s senior management is out of touch with the reality of life on the ground for people in areas such as Gugulethu who have been left to run the gauntlet of violent crime on a horrific scale". The institute said it was "revealing" that it took the murder of a foreign national for the police's senior management to take stock of the state of affairs in Gugulethu. 'This murder of a newlywed woman has become the symbol of our country' Many South Africans rightly deserve to feel deeply let down by the performance of their government and insulted when it feigns shock and surprise at violence that has become commonplace in South Africa. We live in a country where human life means absolutely nothing to violent thugs. But this one murder - of a beautiful young woman who had just married - has become the symbol of our country to the outside world. This is evidenced by the British media's coverage of the murder. The Daily Mail report on the tragic death of the British bride ended by concluding: "South Africa has one of the worst crime rates in the world." Similar observations have appeared in other publications with The Telegraph reporting that 46 murders are committed each day in South Africa, "a statistic that led to a substantial rise in security during the World Cup". South Africa is indeed a violent country and far too many South Africans are intimately acquainted with this knowledge. And this murder resurrects the doubts and prejudice that surfaced before the World Cup earlier this year. It also reinforces the idea that the safety foreign visitors enjoyed during the tournament in June was a mirage. This murder then shows how life has returned to normal after the soccer fans departed. Anni Dewani's body will be returned to her home and her widower will leave too. Life, as they say, will go on. But it is a life that has become frighteningly abnormal because of our acceptance of barbaric acts of cruelty and violence as a normal feature of South Africa. *Gugulethu made headlines in 1993 when an American exchange student, Amy Biehl, was stabbed and stoned to death. On August 25, 1993, she was driving black friends home to Guguletu township when the car was attacked by a group of youths chanting "one settler, one bullet" -- urging death to all white citizens. The youths stoned the car and struck Ms. Biehl on the head. She fled, bleeding, but the youths cornered her and stabbed and stoned her to death. She was 26 years old.

Why are SA cops “shocked” at murder and hijacking of British tourist?

Over 700 people have been murdered in Gugulethu since 2005 Mzoli's - Gugulethu township in Cape Town an outdoor barbecue restaurant an...

3:27 PM

British bride abducted and murdered by armed carjackers while on honeymoon in Cape Town - South Africa

UK tourist's killing makes world headlines<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539834008732707282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrvNVadz9JvrlOl7Q_8I8OrfMRa1v9W17mL8Uyx-Ptfsj8jIkimSXU0G_WFUVngXr-bdwHMXmBcKGjEUw5ZCZ7PgEFzYFAdkEkkOG9NuciZqeUhQZt4TfXRecVBMqRNUCoP9nh5mazyXn/s400/cara_south_af_1164497a.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" /><ul><li>SOUTH Africa is suffering a crime epidemic. </li><li>Last year there were 14,915 car-jackings, 41 a day, and 18,148 murders. </li><li>Most were in townships. </li><li>There were 50,000 rapes. </li><li>Thousands more went unreported. </li><li>And there were 200,000 cases of assault and more than 18,000 house break-ins. </li></ul>Brit newlywed's body found after honeymoon carjacking murderNews of the killing of a British tourist was all over the UK media this morning, with newspapers reminding readers of South Africa's high "carjacking" and murder rates.<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1329361/Newlywed-Britons-wife-shot-dead-robbers-hijack-South-Africa.html">The Daily Mail</a> website announced the story with the headline: "Honeymoon horror: Newlywed Briton's wife is killed after robbers hijack them in taxi".<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/14/woman-killed-honeymoon-south-africa">The Guardian</a> newspaper's website also reported on the story saying "South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with an average of 46 murders a day. Last year, there were 13 902 carjackings in South Africa, down from 14 915 in 2008-09. The annual murder rate fell by 8.6% to dip below 17 000 for the first time since nationwide records began in 1995-96," Broadcaster <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11753933">BBC</a> , <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3227667/Bride-butchered-on-honeymoon-in-South-Africa.html#ixzz15NDwc2Cf">The Sun</a> and <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8133226/British-wife-of-a-millionaire-businessman-killed-in-South-Africa.html">The Telegraph</a> also reported on the incident, which drew many comments from online readers. <blockquote>"Jules", from California in the United States, said of South Africans on the Daily Mail website: "The bottom line is until these people decide to help themselves, nothing will change." "Austin", also from the United States, added: "Of all the beautiful places in the world, WHY would anyone in their right minds go for a honeymoon in such a vile, god-forsaken place?" Several expats commented out of Australia, saying they left South Africa to ensure safe lives for their children, and that the country was a "mess".</blockquote>Bride butchered on her honeymoon in South Africa A bride on honeymoon with her wealthy British husband has been murdered in a South Africa. Anni Dewani, 28, and hubby Shrien, 31, had just left a restaurant with a driver in a VW Sharan when they were hijacked by two gunmen. The driver was bundled out of the vehicle, which then drove off at speed with the newlyweds inside. An hour later — around 11 miles away — the killers stopped and threw Mr Dewani from the vehicle. He raised the alarm by flagging down a passing motorist. A police patrol later spotted the Sharan abandoned two miles away in the township of Khayelitsha near Cape Town. The blood-soaked body of Mrs Dewani was found on the back seat. She was covered in bruises and is feared to have been raped. Locals told police they had heard shots. It is believed she was hit in the head, but other reports last night said she may have been stabbed. Read more <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3227667/Bride-butchered-on-honeymoon-in-South-Africa.html">here</a> Related Articles <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8134109/South-African-townships-still-dangerous-post-apartheid.html">South African townships remain dangerous</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8134265/South-African-murder-travel-advice.html">South African murder: travel advice</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8133635/Police-report-of-South-African-honeymoon-killing.html">Police report of South African honeymoon killing</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8132687/British-woman-on-honeymoon-in-Cape-Town-killed-by-carjackers.html">British woman on honeymoon in Cape Town killed by carjackers</a> 14 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8134397/South-African-murder-highlights-dangerous-side-of-Cape-Town.html">South African murder highlights dangerous side of Cape Town</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8133226/British-wife-of-a-millionaire-businessman-killed-in-South-Africa.html">British wife of a millionaire businessman killed in South Africa</a>

British bride abducted and murdered by armed carjackers while on honeymoon in Cape Town - South Africa

UK tourist's killing makes world headlines SOUTH Africa is suffering a crime epidemic. Last year there were 14,915 car-jackings, 41 a da...

9:27 AM

Mean Streets

Mean Streets

This is South Africa

3:23 PM

Warning to motorists - Hijackers 'trick victims with number plates'

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XeWjlRpi_o2AF7K8XK0GoVJ1iK3dDVbdb2ID8wtavLcj_Z_iUKbZrBZZxs9oHBQN8vsoPis9QkiugtwXyIr7giN8FvWLSn0Zau3Mw9DrA9aXq4wXwzjTWoSXjmo9IZMkiJN6SUtEVsft/s1600-h/crime_be_aware-large.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440737190719128306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XeWjlRpi_o2AF7K8XK0GoVJ1iK3dDVbdb2ID8wtavLcj_Z_iUKbZrBZZxs9oHBQN8vsoPis9QkiugtwXyIr7giN8FvWLSn0Zau3Mw9DrA9aXq4wXwzjTWoSXjmo9IZMkiJN6SUtEVsft/s400/crime_be_aware-large.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>If your number plates are being flashed to you from another car, resist the urge to stop - they might be hijackers. According to an e-mail doing the rounds, hijackers are removing motorists' number plates in an attempt to get them out of their cars. They "stalk" motorists to a parking lot or mall, wait for them to park and leave their car before removing the plates, the e-mail says. The hijackers wait for the victim to return, follow them on to the road and then overtake them while displaying the number plate at their window. This makes the victim think they have lost the plate and that the hijackers want to give it back. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAIt5FmUyIZWYLMzHBPwcfZz3-ud7Mkm0sr_EmnGNrlF4Wq4MN9iPHC4yewF1P4baysw3q2W-YGHBuKT6fqqNc2s8qVMMT6sUai7aJDe134jDqDDcpxDV-LAvJwcIUJS6V1eDyVwC9ICn/s1600-h/crime-hi-jacking-crime-alert.jpg"></a>"Shocked that your number plate has fallen off your car, you bring your vehicle to a halt to get it from them. This is all they want you to do, and by the time you realise what has happened, it is too late - your car was hijacked or you could have been raped or killed," the e-mail reads. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440739795566365026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXO2KISIOrb8ZBcqsUKN4kENpDQmAz0cQaaUv7UpVCLqZ-NPndXTRzIVr6mQpBqi_ljLoMF6ThKvkehBGjuY7G8Dd0OFxEQ6ycUjNxLqLn66aJ1YZu9jTafeEKhlf1ZMUtgni-py6Fx3Ua/s320/crime-alert-road-sign.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" />It warns motorists against stopping for anything, because their lives are more valuable than a number plate. "Think about what is happening before you react to it. Criminals are clever and cunning but are ruthless in getting what they want." Gauteng police spokesman Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini said that while he thought the e-mail was a hoax, one should never underestimate the lengths to which potential hijackers were willing to go. "There's a possibility for anything, but it's the first time I've heard of it," he said. Tips for protecting yourself against hijackings: <ul><li>Have your key on you, but not visible. </li><li>Inspect the outside and inside of the vehicle before unlocking. Check the tyres, number plates and the other side of the car. </li><li>Know your destination and directions to it, and be alert if you get lost. </li><li>Always drive with your windows closed and doors locked. </li><li>Make a mental note of any police stations in the area. </li><li>When stopping behind another vehicle, leave at least half-a-car's length in front of your vehicle so you can make an emergency escape if necessary. </li><li>Never open your vehicle window or door for any stranger.</li></ul><ul><li>If a suspicious-looking person is near your unoccupied vehicle, don't approach it.</li></ul>

Warning to motorists - Hijackers 'trick victims with number plates'

If your number plates are being flashed to you from another car, resist the urge to stop - they might be hijackers. According to an e-mail d...

2:24 AM

Man killed in hijack

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB2KQyRb6WGifJxoPIHEvDyQWQd6wISK8oW0rxYLJ7C3lqdqhMptJa_hdXYsWxakYgZqDJTctgMhmuedlQLSFx8P76qrVhfKZc_QBYlfGuzIkMvYWerzL4kYN7wHEIhOqIPN36V_b29Z3/s1600-h/crime%2520scene01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414475933214809458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB2KQyRb6WGifJxoPIHEvDyQWQd6wISK8oW0rxYLJ7C3lqdqhMptJa_hdXYsWxakYgZqDJTctgMhmuedlQLSFx8P76qrVhfKZc_QBYlfGuzIkMvYWerzL4kYN7wHEIhOqIPN36V_b29Z3/s320/crime%2520scene01.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px" /></a>A 30-year-old man was shot dead during a hijacking in Meyerton in Johannesburg on Friday night, paramedics said. "Paramedics arrived at the Meyerton fire station and found a man was shot through the heart and right leg during an alleged hijacking by three men around 8 pm. He was unresponsive," said ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak. Vermaak said paramedics attempted advanced life support resuscitation but it was unsuccessful. "The hijack victim was subsequently pronounced dead on scene," he said. In a separate incident a shop owner was wounded on Friday after he was shot by robbers in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, police said. Spokesman Inspector Kay Makhubele said armed robbers stormed into a clothing shop around 4pm and pointed a gun at the owner demanding money. "The owner resisted and he was shot on the back after which the suspects ran away. No one has been arrested since," said Makhubele. Police are investigating a case of attempted robbery and attempted murder.

Man killed in hijack

A 30-year-old man was shot dead during a hijacking in Meyerton in Johannesburg on Friday night, paramedics said. "Paramedics arrived at...

12:31 PM

Hijack victim thrown off bridge

Durban - A 24-year-old woman is in a serious condition after hijackers forced her out of her vehicle and pushed her over the Umkomaas River Bridge on the N2 south in Chatsworth , Netcare 911 said on Saturday. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRenQMf-RITvukALuLCGi1vlW-T13hZk1RDKxxV6eACYuF_ioT77lG7tfzPdEzAML-SZLiUycUipMiMFF9n_UfRsyD7nvWe4kStzOsDUanfdafIfzMM88lGAPFmNopXZ_-7BeuRmGO3Bo/s1600-h/umkomaas-river-bridge.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403954326779991810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRenQMf-RITvukALuLCGi1vlW-T13hZk1RDKxxV6eACYuF_ioT77lG7tfzPdEzAML-SZLiUycUipMiMFF9n_UfRsyD7nvWe4kStzOsDUanfdafIfzMM88lGAPFmNopXZ_-7BeuRmGO3Bo/s400/umkomaas-river-bridge.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" /></a>The road bridge over the Umkomaas River leading to the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal. Spokesperson Jeff Wicks said the woman was plunged almost 60 metres below the bridge on Friday night and landed in shallow water. She sustained chest, head and spinal injuries that left her immobile and unable to pull herself out, said Wicks. The woman managed to keep herself afloat for over four hours before a passer-by heard her cries for help and rushed to her aid at the river bank and called for help. Wicks said fire-fighters, who arrived first on scene, pulled the woman out from the water and placed her onto an embankment before paramedics attended to her. She was also treated for hypothermia before being airlifted to the Netcare St Augustine's Hospital in Durban and in a serious but stable condition. Her hijackers are still being sought by police, said Wicks. - SAPA

Hijack victim thrown off bridge

Durban - A 24-year-old woman is in a serious condition after hijackers forced her out of her vehicle and pushed her over the Umkomaas River ...

5:33 AM

Gauteng's most wanted criminal finally nabbed

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiEua1bUyk0YjRslVp-6Wh2HzhVt29aON-jxt3eMfs4dwifgU1rO2pEAz32kFh5p7lm0KL-BWG5pO3cMomKanPXJ8z3va-7IWGKbh4faAXIAty8ng4NhI7vWtzkfetf2TNz_cCq4IDvc/s1600-h/Crime-shootout-rolex-gang.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403668686276959906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiEua1bUyk0YjRslVp-6Wh2HzhVt29aON-jxt3eMfs4dwifgU1rO2pEAz32kFh5p7lm0KL-BWG5pO3cMomKanPXJ8z3va-7IWGKbh4faAXIAty8ng4NhI7vWtzkfetf2TNz_cCq4IDvc/s400/Crime-shootout-rolex-gang.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" /></a>As the bullets tore through the silver Mercedes-Benz, Kelvin Ludidi had no other option but to jump out of the moving vehicle and try his luck on foot. He had already run down a police superintendent - sending him flying over his bonnet - bumped five cars and sped into oncoming traffic with the speedometer needle hurtling towards 200km/h. As he leapt out onto West Street in the Sandton CBD, a bullet slammed into his left arm. Defeated, he went down and was immediately handcuffed. His car was still rolling and an officer jumped in to stop it. Yesterday's dramatic chase through the busy financial hub netted one of Gauteng's most wanted criminals and a man police believe is linked to the notorious Rolex Gang. See - <a class="sectlink" href="http://gallery.iol.co.za/v/iolnews/Gang+member+nabbed+after+high_speed+chase+11_11_2009/">Gallery: Gang member nabbed after high-speed chase</a> At the scene, police spokesman Inspector Moses Maphakela said he was confident the man would be linked to at least 60 cases of violent robberies - especially those committed in driveways. Ludidi is currently out on R10 000 bail for a 2007 case of armed robbery in which a gang followed a couple from the Sandton City shopping mall. The suspects were later arrested with the aid of CCTV footage at the centre. At the time, it seems Ludidi was also on bail for another armed robbery. Ludidi’s last crime allegedly involved eight armed men and a cigarette truck hijacking worth R250 000 in Randburg last week. Police are also linking Ludidi to the Sandon Knife Gang, driveway crimes and crimes involving people followed from Sandton City shopping mall. It all began in the parking lot of Morningside Clinic, where police had set up a trap for Ludidi. Police sources said that as he drove in, a superintendent in charge of the Trio Task Team, Alexandra cluster, jumped out to make the arrest. Ludidi then allegedly drove straight into the superintendent. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sogfJwd1jui1zuPofRpHulbwJoxdoJJti6hr84l9rKaYq72uN84rsHCbpuUBAlC4H0RX607yb0nNE06psKqa6Wqjv1nbRzDRSGYpzWX5Y-Sn6k1X8GtpVUlhuQ6s9TvMdXMxUTv355s/s1600-h/CRIME-ROLEX-GANG-Kelvin+Ludidi.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403518663781633682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sogfJwd1jui1zuPofRpHulbwJoxdoJJti6hr84l9rKaYq72uN84rsHCbpuUBAlC4H0RX607yb0nNE06psKqa6Wqjv1nbRzDRSGYpzWX5Y-Sn6k1X8GtpVUlhuQ6s9TvMdXMxUTv355s/s400/CRIME-ROLEX-GANG-Kelvin+Ludidi.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 396px" /></a>"He tried to run him down," a source said. "One of the (police) vehicles tried to block him, but he crashed into the car. He hit another three vehicles and went out onto Benmore Street." Two officers from the task team had heard the gunshots fired by the superintendent moments after he was knocked down. Speeding around the corner, they saw the Mercedes-Benz and gave chase. They raced into oncoming traffic, following Ludidi as he bumped into another car and forced his way across Grayston Drive. According to sources, the police were driving at around 200km/h to catch up with their man. It was just after Grayston Drive that the officers began shooting. About 10 rounds were fired before Ludidi surrendered. Some of the bullets from a police rifle punched through the boot but lodged in the driver's seat. Ludidi did not have a chance to shoot at the officers, but a pistol was found in his car.While police gathered evidence from the bullet-riddled car, Ludidi was taken to hospital under heavy police guard. The alleged mastermind behind the notorious ‘Rolex Gang’, Kelvin Ludidi, was linked to - or even a kingpin of - the so-called Rolex Gang. He is allegedly linked to to at least 60 cases of violent robberies in the Northern suburbs including those of socialite Edith Venter, attorney Billy Gundelfinger and Discovery Health’s Adrian Gore.

Gauteng's most wanted criminal finally nabbed

As the bullets tore through the silver Mercedes-Benz, Kelvin Ludidi had no other option but to jump out of the moving vehicle and try his lu...

3:46 AM

Man swims away from robbers

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibW91A6NiyxOrgBO4s9jstfkDBeZE-QWmv6S7pcbcmQrXr-4n2wovyU15UwAtXZqO-1vHaoGvoFuvTUplLGUQ5mhKdHjZY7kr28BXWTRnAz7luTm-KVwdX58rfIGDmyEXmof7iT6CNPf0/s1600-h/crime-beach.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380157812209180098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibW91A6NiyxOrgBO4s9jstfkDBeZE-QWmv6S7pcbcmQrXr-4n2wovyU15UwAtXZqO-1vHaoGvoFuvTUplLGUQ5mhKdHjZY7kr28BXWTRnAz7luTm-KVwdX58rfIGDmyEXmof7iT6CNPf0/s400/crime-beach.bmp" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 290px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" /></a>Port Elizabeth - A businessman and triathlete says he saw his life flashing before his eyes when he was attacked near the Willows resort. Eldon Leonard, 33, had gone to take photos of a whale carcass on Wednesday afternoon when he suddenly found himself at the mercy of four robbers. Keeping a cool head, he managed to free himself and swam 5km in the sea to his freedom. He has taken part in the Iron Man competition. Leonard - who owns Ubuntu Hygiene Cleaners - had been taking photos of the carcass because he had wanted to remove it from the rocks on behalf of the city council, due to the unbearable stench and health dangers it posed. While taking photos, he noticed the men walking towards him. He suddenly had an uneasy feeling about it, and phoned a colleague. The men grabbed him and took his phone, upon which he freed himself from their grip and fled up a dune. They followed him, grabbed him yet again, and took his car keys from his pocket. Leonard said: "I kept thinking, 'Here we go again', because I also experienced an armed robbery three years ago." Three of them waited with Leonard, while the fourth ran to fetch the car. They shoved him into the car and sat on top of him so that nobody could see him. They drove about 10km with him, to the nudist beach on Cape Recife road, and then turned off onto a small gravel road. While on this road, they encountered a VW Golf. They hijacked the young couple in the Golf as well, shoved them in the car, and drove to the parking area at the beach with the three victims and two cars. "It was there that I really got scared. They constantly threatened to shoot and kill us and made a joke about it. "They tied me and the other man up with shoelaces and slapped us until our ears were ringing." Leonard said the robbers then demanded that they give the PIN numbers of their bank cards, so that they could withdraw all the money in their accounts. Then, all of a sudden, an army helicopter happened to fly over their heads and gave the robbers a huge fright. That gave the three victims a chance to escape. The couple fled up a dune and Leonard jumped in the ocean and swam away. About 5km further, at the Main Right look-out point in Cape Recife, he climbed out of the water and ran to the main road. That's where his worried colleagues found him. Inspector Johan Raubenheimer of the Humewood police station said the robbers have not been caught yet, but both vehicles have been recovered. "If you really must go and visit that area, just make sure you're in a group of friends. The robbers check you out thoroughly, they want your money," was Raubenheimer's warning to the public. - Die Burger

Man swims away from robbers

Port Elizabeth - A businessman and triathlete says he saw his life flashing before his eyes when he was attacked near the Willows resort. El...

8:07 AM

Hijack horror

It was a 70km hell-ride that has left him traumatised, the "ferocious" faces of his hijackers forever etched in his mind.<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361565601935552162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pPOMiP266NxH1z9DdHn7IlWXk-t8xPj7wObawFgfbzRl60xHXI2jI6ZJNIaHA_1pPsHu5F9bO0cdy6nCTERekZcqV766UNp6Oeh8r8_c_xWZ0VrlcFOjgjErKZLp9WnAGQR1GxY46-Q/s400/HI-JACK.bmp" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /> He was hijacked by two men dressed as police officers, stuck in the boot of their car, before being dumped in the veld in Bapsfontein without a cellphone. Kilometres away, on the other side of Gauteng, a getaway was taking place across the city - complete with a high-speed car chase, a shootout with police, a car crash and an arrest. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361565609191209858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbEX56xpf0x7SuYT1AwUK6TJ2maBMzTWAlmIJ9dQdQUfjVdv0_KrxdDGmS771BBr3OYrf2NdE61rUYMqoM2ScbBg8BVw2W9lPIGPlthiaP4LqVItLZyHe3-2uxG35SKma4GsK0H5Rv0g/s400/hi-jack01.bmp" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /> It all started early on Tuesday morning when a man from a Toyota dealership was tasked with driving a new white Toyota Fortuner from Kempton Park to Bapsfontein. As he made his way on the R25, he was pulled over by two men dressed as police officers in a Nissan with a blue police light on the roof. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361565609417875202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BpeZFZ-NFIoiDfHAIae3Xex0XqwxkvPf1M_6qUPiV1CtcDlQGSoqPafPbQblF4ZX1Gm3TAZB2q8UN1layw2ZDoK-TdlH_p-PYnrKm5-fk1_VQUhN1dIZHBajAFQdh_iu6_sIbyPiJFs/s400/hi-jack02.bmp" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />After a long police chase, hijackers jumped out the moving Toyota Fortuner leaving it to hit a cement fence, in Eikenhof. Bennie Viljoen, a colleague of the hijacked man, related the driver's experience to The Star. The "police officers" were questioning the driver, asking where he was going. As they were talking, another Nissan parked across the road and two men came towards them. "One of the men dressed as a police officer pulled the key out of the Fortuner and told the driver he would be killed if he didn't keep quiet," Viljoen said. The two from the car across the road then loaded the driver into the boot of their Nissan. "They pulled down one of the back seats and one sat in the back holding down his hands," said Viljoen. "They drove about 70km and dumped him in the veld in Bapsfontein near a dam. "They held him at gunpoint and told him that he would be killed if he didn't wait there for half an hour," said Viljoen. "He is really traumatised, and what stood out in his mind was the look on their faces. He said they looked ferocious." The driver waited a few minutes and then walked towards a tar road, where he flagged down a car. Viljoen was then informed of the hijacking. Viljoen then contacted CarTrack to activate the vehicle's tracking device. It picked up the car as it was being driven towards Eikenhof, south of Joburg, Jean Brand, from Capital Air, a company subcontracted to CarTrack, said they traced the car to the N12 near Etwatwa and immediately called the police. The Joburg anti-hijack task team set out to follow the Fortuner. "We were tracing the car and giving police feed (information) the whole time," Brand said. "They must have been moving at one helluva speed. It moved so quickly we couldn't catch up." The car travelled past Boksburg through the Gillooly's interchange. It turned left and then right, travelling along the N12 towards Kliprivier Road. A helicopter and at least two police vehicles caught up with the vehicle at Eikenhof. When the hijacker saw the helicopter and police cars, he started firing, and the police returned fire. The Fortuner had at least two bullet holes in its side, and a police car had a bullet hole in its windshield. The bullet narrowly missed the officer driving the vehicle, who ducked as the shot was fired and then did a handbrake turn, before he tumbled out of the car and injured one of his arms. "As soon as the police returned fire, the driver gave up. He opened the door and jumped out of the moving vehicle," said Brand. The car then crashed into a wall. The hijacker ran into a house nearby but was later apprehended. "We arrested one suspect," said spokesperson Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini.

Hijack horror

It was a 70km hell-ride that has left him traumatised, the "ferocious" faces of his hijackers forever etched in his mind. He was ...

1:05 AM

South Africa P.I.G.