The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, cautions the public against hitchhiking and giving lifts to hitchhikers, as this could lead to robbery, thus putting the lives of those involved in the practice at risk.
This warning follows an incident that occurred on Thursday, 19 October 2023 wherein a 55-year-old man hitchhiked a Suzuki Swift motor vehicle near Mall of the North in Polokwane policing precinct going to Ga-Dikgale. It is alleged that three unknown suspects took the wrong direction, stopped, produced pistols and a knife, and robbed him of all his belongings such as a cellphone, wallet with cash worth R400, and bank cards, all valued at R5400-00, and ordered him to run to the bushes. The suspects then drove off.
In another incident that occurred outside Seshego on Friday, 20 October, two victims between the ages of 24 and 25 respectively were hitchhiking a lift from Westernburg to Steilop and Lephalale, Waterberg District in a silver Tazz Conquest motor vehicle. The driver turned his motor vehicle in the wrong direction, produced a firearm, and robbed both victims of their belongings: their cellphones, licenses, bank cards, and all other valuable items amounting to R7000-00.
This follows hard on the heels of an incident that took place along the Georges Valley on Friday 13 October, after a female motorist and a man offered a lift to two unknown men, resulting in a man driving along with the female motorist being killed in the process. The female driver was raped and left in the bushes, and the motor vehicle was found burned in the Letsitele policing area.
Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe urged members of the public to stay away from hitch-hiking or offering lifts to people that they do not know. She advises people who knock off from work very late to make use of public transportation, clubs or staff transport instead of hitchhiking in order to reduce and prevent these incidents.
“I wish to call upon community members to resist the temptation of engaging in hitchhiking as they could endanger their lives in the process,” remarked Gen Hadebe.
Three Incidents are under investigation. No one has been arrested and we are calling anyone with information on these incidents to contact the nearest Police Station or Crime Stop number 08600 10111 or MySAPS App.
Content retrieved from SAPS.
