Motorists across Cape Town are being warned about a disturbing trend: taxi operators allegedly hijacking vehicles and demanding payment for their return.
City of Cape Town Mayco Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, has sounded the alarm over what he calls a wave of mafia-style extortion spreading through parts of the country. Speaking to Cape Talk , and relayed by Business Tech , Smith said the City has received multiple reports of motorists, including private transport and scholar transport operators, being ambushed, stripped of their vehicles, and then forced to pay to get them back.
Smith asserts that the incidents masquerade as impoundments, yet he clarifies the true nature of the situation. It is hijacking when somebody takes your vehicle without your consent and removes that vehicle from your control, he said. This is a plain and simple matter of hijacking and extortion, and it is disgraceful.