Information from one of South Africa's largest private security solutions provider, which also provides vehicle tracking services, shows that vehicles which are white in colour are the most targeted in its portfolio.
Chief executive of Fidelity Services Group, Wahl Bartmann said hijackers target specific vehicles for a specific purpose and market.
“Vehicle hijackings are largely a business driven by demand and supply. As a result, hijackers target specific vehicles for a specific purpose and market,” he said.
“Within the Fidelity footprint these are the top five vehicles currently being targeted: white Nissan Almera; white Volkswagen Polo; white Toyota Hi-Ace; white Nissan NP200; and grey/blue/white Toyota Corolla.”
The private security company said it has observed an increase in the number of vehicle hijackings recorded in 2024.
“We can confirm that within the Fidelity footprint we have seen an increase in the number of hijackings recorded during the first half of 2024, in comparison to both the corresponding periods during 2023 and the second half of 2023,” said Bartmann.
He said white and silver vehicles were mainly targeted by hijackers, but of late, even vehicles with non-traditional colours are also being hijacked.
“As mentioned above traditionally vehicle hijackings are largely a business driven by demand and supply. In the recent past, white and silver vehicles were most often targeted, as per the black-market’s demand which often reflects the mainstream market trends,” said Bartmann.
“Recently there has been an increased demand of non-traditional coloured vehicles on the road. As a result, vehicles with non-traditional colours, including orange and yellow have started being targeted more regularly.”
The Fidelity Services Group has appealed to motorists to be more observant while driving regardless of the type and colour of the vehicle they drive.
“Try to identify any suspicious vehicles that may be following you. When a vehicle is following you close to your home and/or when an unknown vehicle is parked close to your residence, drive past your house. Drive to your nearest police station and alert your armed response company,” said Bartmann.
He said vehicle trackers have been proven to be an effective tool to help in the recovery of a stolen/hijacked vehicle.
“If you haven’t considered one before, I urge you to do so today,” said Bartmann.
In the unfortunate event of a hijacking, Bartmann urged motorists to comply.
“Do not offer any resistance during a hijacking. Remember that perpetrators are always armed and would not hesitate to fire when confronted. Additional perpetrators may stand out of view and fire should you fight back,” Bartmann warned.
Hijackings across South Africa happen at any place, and at any time.
“The best response is to be alert and aware of any suspicious activity near you. Should you be hijacked, report the incident to your tracking company and the police as soon as possible. The sooner you report the incident, the greater the likelihood that your vehicle will be recovered,” said Bartmann.
He also warned that as Chinese-made vehicles continue to rise in popularity in South Africa, the vehicles are also being targeted by criminals.
“The perceived quality of Chinese-branded vehicles has increased and we can confirm that as a result, we have seen a slight increase in the number of these type of vehicle hijackings being recorded,” said Bartmann.
Last year, IOL reported that the regional court at Mokopane, in Limpopo, had convicted and sentenced a 35-year-old Shane Mthombeni who was arrested while driving a stolen Toyota Fortuner to Zimbabwe.
At the time, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said Mthombeni, was sentenced to six years of direct imprisonment, without the option to pay a fine.
“The court heard that the South African citizen, Shane Mthombeni was intercepted by police while driving a silver motor vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner at Nyl Toll Plaza along the N1 Highway on Monday, October 30,” Mashaba said.
Members of the Limpopo police’s provincial tracking team, in conjunction with a private security company operationalised information which had been gathered, and arrested the driver.
IOL