After Harrowing Hijacking Ordeal
Reporter – George April
CAPE TOWN:- A 34-year-old Cape Town mother is recovering from deep shock after being violently hijacked, kidnapped, and locked inside the boot of her vehicle during.
The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Her life was saved thanks to the swift actions of law enforcement and SAPS officers who discovered her abandoned car along Baden Powell Drive near Sonwabi Beach.
The woman, who cannot be named for her safety, was travelling home to Crossroads after attending a bereavement gathering, when the nightmare unfolded. While driving along NY5 Circle in Gugulethu, she was ambushed by three men who attempted to smash her windscreen with a brick. The attackers then forced their way into the vehicle, assaulted her, and shoved her into the boot of the VW Polo before fleeing with the car.
Her boyfriend later confirmed that this was not the first time she had been targeted by criminals. “She is not doing well at all. She’s crying, shaking. She keeps saying things could have turned out so differently,” he said. He added that the attackers stole her cellphone and assaulted her on her arm and back. “She needs counselling urgently. This is the second time she’s been a victim.”
The suspects reportedly drove around with her trapped in the boot before abandoning the vehicle along Baden Powell Road, between Strandfontein and Muizenberg. It was here that alert members of Law Enforcement and SAPS noticed the suspiciously parked car and decided to investigate.
A crime-fighter close to the scene described the tense moment officers made the shocking discovery. “They checked the car and saw the keys and a handbag inside. They knew something wasn’t right. When they opened the boot, they got the fright of their lives – no one expected to find a woman tied up inside.”
The mother was found dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her head covered with a jacket. Although deeply traumatised, she was rescued unharmed. Officers also discovered a stash of bank and credit cards inside the vehicle, believed to be linked to other crimes.
Police confirmed that a case of hijacking and kidnapping is under investigation. No arrests have been made yet.
Women’s rights groups expressed both relief and concern, noting that while this woman survived, many others do not. As South Africa marks 16 Days of Activism, the incident highlights the ongoing crisis of violence against women. It’s a crisis activists say, must be urgently and structurally addressed.
