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'They tied me up and drove off with the bakkie'

Cape Town - Earlier in May, Wheels24 reported on a driver's quick reactions saved them from a  potential armed robbery and/or hijacking.

The video was published on YouTube.

Wheels24 reader Barend Van Heerden shared his story of justice:

Van Heerden says: We were hijacked about 15 years ago on my daughter’s birthday, at a robot in Benoni at Mackenzie Park at about 7am.

READ - Hijacking in SA: 'Quick thinking saved our lives!'

The two males took us to the nearest squatter camp and there we were taken out of the work's bakkie. The one guy hit me about six times over my head as I was trying to get their attention away from my wife.

READ:'I was hijacked at gun point'

They tied us up and then drove off with the bakkie. My wife had tucked away her cellphone and purse, so we freed ourselves and called for help. 


Have you been the victim or had a lucky escape from hijackers in SA? Email us your story.


A few weeks later I spotted the guys in Atlas Road in Boksburg. I pulled over a metro police officer but one guy got away. However, the other one was arrested.

I had to go and identify the suspect three months later in Modderbee jail (in Benoni). It was one of the most uneasiest, unsettling things I had to do, to walk between all those prisoners in jail.

Read: 'Hijacking in SA - a car is not worth your life'

Our SAPS case files got "lost" but after six months it was found by a detective and he personally took and kept the files with him as the then Commander told him to guard it. The suspect was sentenced to 18 years in jail. We had a few cases against him.  

I have said thanks to the Saps in Benoni but still, all thanks to the Colonel, the detective, and the judge that stood by us. And we'll thank them for years to come.

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