A WELL-KNOWN businessman escaped unharmed during a horror hijacking ordeal in Richards Bay CBD on Friday night, shortly after leaving a work function.
Owner of Ocean Audio Entertainment, Stephen Roux, was held up at gunpoint at the parking area between the Lakeside Mall and Boardwalk Inkwazi Shopping Centre about 9.45pm, where he was accosted by two men who robbed him of his bakkie loaded with sound systems and electrical equipment.
His vehicle had been making a disturbing noise and with the help of his staff who were travelling in another vehicle, they checked it before the staff drove away, however within seconds he was approached by the armed suspects.
The men jumped in at the passenger and driver doors and sandwiched him, they demanded access to the anti-hijack system.
‘They drove with me to the Empangeni off-ramp at the N2 overhead bridge before coming to a stop at a dirt road shortly after the exit, where I was assaulted and searched for weapons.
‘They told me to lie on the ground and said goodbye before they cocked the gun; I thought I was going to be shot.
‘However there was a vehicle approaching from the pathway and they jumped into the vehicle and left.
‘I walked up onto the bridge and managed to flag down my employees who were heading back to KwaMbonami at that time, we also stopped two SAPS vehicles, which were driving past and the officers told me they could not pursue my vehicle, because they had run out of fuel,’ he said.
Despite the vehicle being fitted with a recovery device, it could not be detected after a while and it is believed the unit could have been removed and destroyed.
Roux said he was happy to be alive and except for some aches and bruises he was recovering from the shock and trauma.
Wonder where our country is going too! No fuel in a goverment vehchile? Must be because of private use like transporting family and friends!
bye south africa its never going to get better
This is my cousin – I live in New Zealand have been for 16 years and it’s for reasons like this we left all those years ago.. A few years ago My brother was hijacked and left for dead and left with brain damage so thank God my cousin Stephen is fine.
When will this end?