South Africans are being warned of a new hijacking trend in the Western Cape, involving dogs that are used to persuade motorists to stop on the side of the road.
The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa has issued an urgent warning over a disturbing new hijacking tactic reportedly being used on the Cape Flats along the R300.
The R300 in the Western Cape serves as a key freeway linking the N1 (Northern Suburbs) and N2 (Southern Suburbs) highways.
Most people take this route to commute between the northern suburbs (Bellville, Brackenfell, Kuils River) and southern suburbs and airport area, or to connect to the N2 toward Somerset West, Strand, and Gordon’s Bay.
Along this road, criminals are allegedly hanging dogs from concrete palisade walls with wire around their necks.
These criminals do this hoping the shocking scenes will prompt motorists to stop and assist, making them vulnerable to hijacking.
The warning follows an incident on Sunday, 26 April, when a motorist spotted one dog hanging from a wall near Samora Machel and another trapped between concrete palisades.
Suspecting it could be a trap, the motorist alerted the organisation instead of stopping.
Senior Inspector Sivuyile Kilwa and Senior Nurse Michelle Henning responded to the scene, but both dogs had already died from injuries and suffocation.
The society stressed that this may not be an isolated case and reflects the extreme cruelty that criminals are willing to use.
Motorists are urged not to stop if they encounter such scenes, but instead report them immediately to the Animal Welfare Society emergency hotline on 082-601-1761.
The Western Cape and the City of Cape Town are often regarded as the best-run province and major metro in South Africa.
For example, the City of Cape Town is the only metropolitan municipality to have received a clean audit outcome, maintaining the rating for a third year in a row.
The Auditor-General’s (AG) Consolidated General Report on Local Government Audit Outcomes showed that only 41 of the country’s 257 municipalities received clean audits, with Cape Town standing alone among the major metros.
Hijacking numbers are still alarmingly high—including in the Western Cape
However, even AG Tsakani Maluleke noted that a clean audit, while critical, does not automatically mean that everything is excellent—and that includes being exempt from South Africa’s high crime rate.
The latest crime statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the third quarter of 2025, covering October to December, recorded 4,778 carjackings across the country.
That works out to an alarming 50 hijackings every day, underscoring the scale of a crime trend that remains deeply entrenched in South Africa’s major metros.
The SAPS data showed that Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape recorded the highest number of hijackings.
The statistics also showed that sedans, hatchbacks and coupes remain the most frequently targeted vehicles, with bakkies and panel vans not far behind.
According to Tracker’s latest vehicle crime statistics, vehicles can be stolen or hijacked on any day, but clear trends have emerged across its national footprint.
Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for January to June 2025 showed that hijackings were mainly reported on Thursdays between 16h00 and 21h00. However, this has shifted.
Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for July to December 2025 now show that hijackings are peaking on Tuesdays between 16h00 and 21h00.
Theft of private vehicles continues to be most commonly reported on Saturdays between 11h00 and 16h00.
Security firm Fidelity Services Group flagged several well-known hijacking hotspots around the country.
In the Western Cape, the data noted that areas surrounding townships such as Parow, Mitchells Plain, and Khayelitsha have seen a spike in hijackings.
Wahl Bartmann, CEO of Fidelity Services Group, stressed that while the risk cannot be eliminated, motorists can reduce their exposure.
He urged motorists to stay vigilant, avoid predictable routines, exercise caution when arriving home, keep valuables out of sight, and comply if confronted.
He added that rapid-response tools such as portable panic buttons can also play a critical role when seconds matter.
