Limpopo police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has cautioned community members against hitch-hiking, and giving lifts to hitch-hikers, following different criminal activities recorded in the province.
In the first incident, a 55-year-old man who was hitch-hiking was given a lift in a Suzuki Swift vehicle near the Mall of the North in Polokwane.
The 55-year-old man was travelling to Ga-Dikgale.
“It is alleged that three unknown suspects (the occupants of the car) took the wrong direction, stopped, produced pistols and a knife, and robbed him of all his belongings such as a cellphone, wallet with cash worth R400, and bank cards, all valued at R5,400 and ordered him to run into the bushes,” provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said.
The robbers then then drove off with the man’s possessions.
In another incident, which took place outside Seshego on Friday, two travellers aged 24 and 25 were hitch-hiking and they were given a lift in a silver Toyota Tazz Conquest vehicle.
“The driver turned his motor vehicle in the wrong direction, produced a firearm, and robbed both victims of their belongings - their cellphones, licenses, bank cards, and all other valuable items amounting to R7,000,” said Mashaba.
Earlier this month, on October 13, a woman who was driving with a male passenger gave a lift to two unknown men. Moments later, the male passenger was killed.
“The female driver was raped and left in the bushes, and the motor vehicle was found burned in the Letsitele policing area,” said Mashaba.
Meanwhile, reacting to these incidents, Hadebe has appealed to community members to “stay away from hitch-hiking or offering lifts to people that they do not know”.
She also advised community members who knock off from work in the late hours to make use of public transportation, form clubs or arrange for staff transport instead of hitch-hiking.
“I wish to call upon community members to resist the temptation of engaging in hitch-hiking as they could endanger their lives in the process," said Hadebe.
The three incidents are still under investigation.
Police said no one has been arrested and they are appealing to anyone with information on any of the incidents to contact the nearest police station, use the Crime Stop number 086-001-0111 or the My SAPS App.
IOL