A hijacked truck carrying half a million Rands worth of energy drinks, broke down on the Silkaatsnek pass on Tuesday afternoon and it was only discovered on Tuesday night that it had been hijacked when the driver was dumped near an estate in De Wildt.
The truck from Botswana broke down on the pass around 16:00, causing serious traffic disruption. Provincial traffic police arrived on the scene to direct traffic and the driver disappeared soon after.
According to Kobus Grobler, head of security at the Zilkaats Estate, who assisted the injured hijacked driver after he was dumped near the estate around 18:30, the truck was hijacked in Pretoria around14:00. “According to the driver he was held captive in a Hyundai vehicle and repeatedly assaulted before he was dropped off. I had heard about the truck on the pass, and I took the driver to the scene where he identified the truck. He said while being held captive, he heard the hijackers on the phone with the driver who was panicking because traffic police were on the scene. “
Hartbeespoort police were alerted and traced the owner of the truck to Botswana. The cargo was intact, and a towing service removed the truck to a safe place on the owner’s request.