Hijacker leaves cop in veld

2008-07-03 09:51

Thabisile Khoza and Warren Mabona

Siyabuswa - Police are looking for a man who beat up a uniformed Tshwane metro cop before hijacking his Citi Golf.

The 34-year-old cop, originally from Siyabuswa, was driving back to Gauteng from his Mpumalanga family home on Sunday night when he halted at a quiet stop sign on the Vrieskraal/Kameersrivier road.

Superintendent Abie Khoabane said on Wednesday: "The traffic officer reports that a youth jumped out and lunged through the window.

"He grabbed the cop by the neck, showed that he had a pistol, and then pulled him from the car.

"The attacker disarmed the officer, tied him up with rope, and locked him in the boot."

Khoabane said the officer was later dumped in an isolated spot, still tied up, and had to watch while his abductor drove off in his blue Citi Golf with his service pistol and cellphone.

Dazed cop left in veld

"To rub salt into the wound, the defiant thug repeatedly punched the officer in the face before he sped off," said Khoabane.

Local community members later found the dazed cop wandering about with cut wounds on his face, and took him to a local clinic for treatment.

Khoabane urged community members to assist police with any information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect.

The registration number on the stolen car is XCT 857 MP.

"If thugs are not scared of hijacking law enforcement officers, what about ordinary citizens? We need to all stand together to catch this criminal, so that we can all be safe," said Khoabane said.

- African Eye