Criminals, in Gauteng in particular, and in South Africa in general, have come up with a new and dastardly innovation.
This week the Gauteng Traffic Police issued a warning to motorists about criminals placing spikes or objects on public roads with the intention of forcing them to stop the vehicle and robbing them.
Organised criminals in the province have now become daring and brazen and are placing spikes on busy public roads, mostly at night.
This criminal pattern and trend is equal to acts of banditry committed through ambush tactics. This is an aggressive attack against the civilian population with some kind of paramilitary criminal methodology. An in-depth analysis has to be conducted on this kind of crime pattern.
The police have further provided motorists with safety tips to follow, including not stopping the vehicle if they have a puncture. Motorists have been instructed to instead drive slowly to the nearest garage and contact the police.
If a motorist is stopped by a traffic officer, the motorist should demand to see their appointment certificate.
No country would tolerate these kinds of aggressive attacks on busy public roads at night against motorists – this clearly has elements of economic sabotage and subversion. This kind of crime also has far-reaching implications and affects investor confidence in South Africa and the region.
Information about crimes of this nature is already circulating among foreign governments. This has raised concerns about the safety of their emissaries, diplomats and senior business representatives in this country.
These criminal acts should not just be treated as ordinary robberies. Amendments in our criminal justice legislation are required to deal effectively with this scourge.
Conditions for bail for criminals who conduct such highway robberies have to be reviewed. Any violent crime targeting motorists at night creates panic among the public. Some victims have been families travelling with young children, who as a result are bound to suffer lifetime trauma.
The authorities must act swiftly and decisively against these public roads terrorists.
The Star