Truck hijackings get high-level attention

High-level intervention is under way to address growing concerns over truck hijacking, particularly in Gauteng which has earned the dubious title of South Africa’s truck hijacking capital. While the official SAPS crime figures claim that hijackings have come down annually since 2008, the number of hijackings that take place within South Africa remain abnormally high, making the safety and security of cargo a priority. For Gavin Kelly, spokesman for the Road Freight Association (RFA), hijackings and other criminal incidents involving trucks remain one of the major challenges for Gauteng. “It remains a very sensitive subject and we cannot divulge much information around the steps we are taking to address the situation,” he said. “It would seem as the economy becomes tougher and tougher the peddling of second hand goods is increasing which could be one of the reasons why we are seeing an increase in criminal activity involving trucks.”