In light of the rising cases of hijackings caused by vehicle theft syndicates in northern KwaZulu-Natal, an additional 100 police officers will be deployed to bolster the force’s efforts.

“[As part of] a short-term goal, more than 100 police officers have been deployed to the area since Sunday, but on a long-term basis, we will be establishing a permanent unit here, consisting of the vehicle investigation unit and other specialised units,” said national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola.

Within the course of last week, several vehicles; including a luxury bus and a truck from Mozambique; were set alight on the R22 route between Hluhluwe and Mbazwana. This resulted in cases of malicious damage to property which were subsequently opened.

“Taking the law into your hands by torching vehicles will only exacerbate the problem,” the commissioner added. “We have national deployment and interventions that will ensure we heighten and improve police visibility.”

Darul Ihsan Media Desk