A clampdown on hijackers in Johannesburg is paying off as the US Federal Bureau of Investigation-styled anti-crime initiative takes effect. Launched in February by National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka, the initiative has seen a reduction in the number of hijackings and also speedier prosecutions.
The police anti-hijack unit and a prosecution task team have joined up to form a partnership, which in terms of the initiative, is intended to stamp out hijackings in Johannesburg. "Things seem to be working well, but it is difficult to put an exact figure on it as statistics fluctuate monthly, but the signs are positive," said Inspector Mark Reynolds, police spokesperson for Johannesburg.Annual hijacking figures in Johannesburg have shown a steady decrease since 1996 when 2 797 were reported to the city's 20 police stations. In 1997 the figure went down to 2 642 and dropped further last year to 2 493. While police are reluctant to claim "major successes at this early juncture", detectives are already experiencing a lighter docket load and are spending less time in court as their cases are processed faster through the criminal justice system.
Ngcuka's team has, in the past two months, broken hijacking syndicates operating in Sandton, Pretoria and Mozambique, and arrested 36 suspects, all of whom have been refused bail. The team has also recovered stolen vehicles valued at more than R3-million.
Justice Department spokesperson Simon Ngomane yesterday said investigators had been instrumental in "solving numerous murder cases connected to car hijacking". Since March 1 the Johannesburg anti-hijacking unit has passed every one of their cases onto the task force's special court operating at the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court. "In the past detectives would wait six to nine months for a conviction, and another three months before sentencing. This waiting period has been considerably decreased by the special court, which means that the detectives are closing dockets quicker and so spending less of their time in court on remands," said Reynolds.
A recent case concerned a hijacking in Sandringham, in north-eastern Johannesburg, on March 24. The perpetrator was found guilty on June 15 and sentenced to 15 years in jail. "This new approach has had a knock-on effect for detectives. It makes justice swifter, eases their docket load and frees them up to spend more time on investigations," Reynolds said.
Source: IoL
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