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By OBAKENG MAJE

Taung police are investigating a theft of a motor vehicle case. This comes after a Joy ambulance was allegedly stolen in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

According to the North West police spokesperson in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati cluster, Sgt Tryphosa van Rooyen, the driver of the Joy ambulance reported that at about 2:15am on Sunday morning, he was driving between Kolong and Manthe village near Taung when he stuck without fuel.

“He allegedly locked the vehicle and went to Taung CBD to buy fuel. Upon his return to where the vehicle was stuck, he found that the white Ekhaya minibus was missing. A case of theft of motor vehicle was opened and is under investigation by the Vehicle Clearance Identification Unit (VCIU) of Klerksdorp.

“In addition, motorists should always be vigilant when using their vehicles. When you know that you will be driving for a long distance, ensure that you have sufficient fuel for the journey you are embarking on,” she said.

Van Rooyen further advises motorists not to stop in secluded areas and if there is a need, they should rather stop at a filling station or other places that are safer. She added that motorists should not drive along secluded roads, where there is no regular flow of traffic.

“We also advise motorists to always lock their doors when getting in or out of vehicles,” said van Rooyen.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col, Amanda Funani said the police would like to warn motorists about escalating car-hijacking incidents happening around the province.

Funani said this comes after several car-hijacking cases were reported at different police stations between 24 and 27 March 2022. She said in Ventersdorp, a man (30) was driving on the N14 road when stopped by a white VW vehicle with police blue lamps.

“According to information at our disposal, four unknown suspects wearing what appeared to be Metro Police uniform, approached the victim and forcefully took him out of his vehicle. They pointed him with a firearm and instructed him to get into their vehicle and ultimately taken to an open field, where he was put into a shack.

“The man was eventually robbed of his vehicle and an undisclosed amount of cash. In another case, a truck driver (42) who was his father driving from Gauteng to Brits, allegedly met with six unknown suspects, who robbed them of their personal belongings, cash and the truck,” she said.

Funani said the suspect then tied the victims with a rope before fleeing the scene. She said the victims managed to untie themselves and went to Brits Police Station, where they reported the matter.

“Motorists are therefore urged to be vigilant at all times, especially when they are stopping their vehicles to assist other motorists,” said Funani.

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