Farmers suffer heavy losses due to hijackings

Die Vryburger

Farmers suffer heavy losses due to hijackings
Farmers suffer heavy losses due to hijackings

South African farmers are not only exposed to unpredictable climate change such as droughts and floods, but also farm attacks and robberies that require ongoing vigilance.

The latest problem farmers are facing is hijackings performed mainly in the Central Transvaal area where they move fully loaded trucks with food products.

Farmers from the Far North Transvaal have recently experienced several hijackings, and the empty trucks were later found somewhere along a highway.

Kobus de Beer was one of the victims when his truck was hijacked last week on the way to the market.

De Beer said the truck was followed by a Volkswagen who indicated to the driver of the truck to stop. The trucker stopped because he assumed it was the police or that something was wrong with the truck.

About four suspects climbed out of the car, all wearing bulletproof jackets and forced the driver of the truck into the boot of the car. The suspects then drove off with the truck and the car.

The driver of the truck was later dropped off in Lenasia, and the empty truck was later found along the freeway.

De Beer says the truck informed was traced by the police, but they had to wait hours before the police arrived.

It is not the first time that a truck filled with fresh produce has been hijacked. Agricultural experts believe farmers should provide for insurance cover against such damages that could amount to thousands of Rands loss.

Read the original article in Afrikaans on Die Vryburger

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