Security-camera footage captured the hijacked municipal water tanker while it was being tracked near Mbombela. Photo: AfriForum
A municipal water tanker hijacked in eMzinoni, outside Bethal, was recovered near KaNyamazane, outside Mbombela, on Friday, 21 August.
According to AfriForum, the tanker was hijacked on Thursday, 20 August, before being traced nearly 400km away through cooperation between AfriForum neighbourhood watch members, private control rooms and vehicle-tracking company Netstar.
Hennie Bekker, AfriForum’s Mpumalanga Highveld district coordinator, reportedly contacted private control rooms after learning about the hijacking. Security cameras later detected the tanker near Mbombela at approximately 20:00, and the information was passed to AfriForum’s Nelspruit neighbourhood watch and Netstar.
The trailer, reportedly stolen in Middelburg in 2017, was recovered along with the hijacked municipal water tanker. Photo: AfriForum
Netstar subsequently recovered the vehicle. A trailer reportedly stolen in Middelburg in 2017 was also found in the possession of the suspects.
Bekker said cooperation between the community and private security stakeholders, supported by surveillance and vehicle-tracking technology, played a key role in the recovery. AfriForum further raised concerns that the hijacking could be linked to a syndicate targeting water tankers.