Durban - Just days after the national crime statistics revealed that carjackings were on the decrease, police shot dead a hijacker in KwaMashu on Thursday.
Colonel Thembeka Mbele, a KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, said the victim, aged 39, was at his place of residence in Yellow Wood Park when he was approached by three men carrying guns in their hands at 19:30 pm.
"At gunpoint the suspects pushed him into his house and robbed him of his TV set before fleeing the scene in his vehicle a Polo hatchback. Police immediately responded and spotted the hijacked vehicle with two occupants inside travelling along Dumisani Makhaya Road in KwaMashu,"Mbele said.
A shootout then ensued between the hijackers and the police. Mbele said one suspect was fatally wounded and died at the scene. The other suspect fled during the shootout.
An inquest docket was opened at KwaMashu police station for investigation. A case of robbery was opened at Montclair police station for investigation.
According to the SAPS crime stats, hijackings had decreased to 16325 cases in 2017/18 from 16717 in 2016/17.
In KwaZulu-Natal, there were 3029 cases in 2016/17, which decreased to 2698 in 2017/18.