Besides murder and gender-based violence, truck hijackings and stock theft remain a major problem in the country, particularly in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, respectively.
According to the national crime statistics for 2019/20, which were released by Police Minister Bheki Cele on Friday, the Eastern Cape accounts for more stock theft in the country than any other province, while Delmas Police Station in Mpumalanga tops the list of chop shops.
Commodities such as soya beans, diesel, yellow maize, biscuits, tyres, coal, groceries, furniture, stationery and electric cables make trucks susceptible to hijacking.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said truck hijackers mostly target these commodities as they are being transported across the borders.
The Delmas area, which has a maze of exit routes in all directions, has benefited hijackers, who…
