During the joint operation, officers confiscated three homemade rifles, homemade handguns, vehicle keys, hand radios, surfboards and wheels.
Image: City of Cape Town
OFFICERS confiscated homemade rifles and handguns, hand radios and other items in a joint operation to clamp down on a hijacking syndicate in Lingelethu West.
Safety and security mayco member JP Smith said this comes amid a surge in the hijacking of City vehicles.
Between July 2024 and April 2025, a total of 113 City vehicles have been hijacked, which increased from 57 vehicles during the previous financial year.
During the joint operation, officers confiscated three homemade rifles, homemade handguns, vehicle keys, hand radios, surfboards and wheels.
Image: City of Cape Town
Of the 133 vehicles hijacked in recent months, the City has been able to recover 42 vehicles, Smith said.
The statistics show that the Urban Waste and the Water and Sanitation Directorates are most affected and in most of these incidents City officials are held at gunpoint.
The hijackings were most prevalent in Lingelethu West, Makhaza, Harare, Khayelitsha and Mfuleni.
On Wednesday, City officials embarked on a joint intelligence driven operation with the police and raided a property in Town Two where they uncovered a stash of items presumably used in hijackings, and also recovered a vehicle which was reported stolen in Muizenberg last year.
During the joint operation, officers confiscated three homemade rifles, homemade handguns, vehicle keys, hand radios, surfboards and wheels.
“While the property was found unoccupied at the time of the search, investigations continue,” Smith said, adding that during the operation officers arrested a man who was found with the engine of a vehicle hijacked in Khayelitsha several years ago.
“The engine of the Toyota Quantum was found inside his home and he was arrested for being in possession of suspected stolen property,” Smith said.
Officers also arrested a man wanted on a murder charge by Lingelethu West Saps.
Cape Times