KEY POINTS
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A bakery delivery driver in Mpumalanga was hijacked and locked in his truck while suspects used the vehicle to sell bread at local shops.
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Police, aided by the community, arrested one suspect and recovered the truck; the accused is expected in court on multiple charges.
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Authorities highlight the rise in crimes targeting delivery services and call for stronger security measures and public vigilance.
In a crime that shocked the Mpumalanga community, police in Tweefontein arrested a suspect on Saturday following the hijacking and abduction of a bakery delivery driver whose truck was brazenly used by the culprits to sell stolen bread at nearby shops.
IOL reports that the incident took place early Saturday morning and underscores growing concerns about opportunistic crime in small-town South Africa.
According to a police statement, the crime occurred at approximately 5:40 a.m. while the delivery driver was offloading bread at a local general dealer.
The unsuspecting driver was ambushed by two men who had reportedly been hiding behind the vehicle. They forced him into the back of the truck and locked him inside with the bread stock.
“The driver alleged that he had just stepped out of the truck when he was confronted by two men who had been hiding behind the vehicle. The suspects ordered him back into the truck and locked him inside the cargo area with the bread,” police said in their official statement.
The suspects then drove the vehicle to several informal shops in the area, where they allegedly sold the bread at cut-rate prices. The truck was later abandoned near a crèche in Gemsbokspruit, a semi-rural township not far from KwaMhlanga.
Community members assist in suspect’s capture
After offloading most of the bread, the perpetrators reportedly forced the driver out of the truck and robbed him of R470 in cash, his mobile phone, and his driver’s license before attempting to flee the scene on foot.
However, alert members of the community who had taken note of the incident quickly contacted authorities and helped track down one of the suspects.
“The suspects reportedly fled the scene; however, with the help of the community, one of the suspects was swiftly arrested, and the truck was recovered,” police confirmed.
The suspect is expected to appear before the KwaMhlanga Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face multiple charges including hijacking, kidnapping, armed robbery, and possession of stolen property.
Mpumalanga’s Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, expressed gratitude to the community for their swift response and assistance. “We commend the residents of Tweefontein for their cooperation. However, we urge all citizens to continue relying on the police and not to take the law into their own hands,” he said.
Incidents such as this one highlight a troubling rise in crimes targeting delivery services and small-scale distribution networks—often perceived by criminals as soft targets with high cash or goods value.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has noted a pattern of attacks against food delivery drivers, especially in semi-urban and township areas.
Security experts have warned that such crimes are often linked to informal resale networks that turn stolen goods into quick cash. In this case, local spaza shops may have unknowingly participated in distributing the stolen bread.
Transport and logistics companies operating in Mpumalanga and surrounding provinces have been urged to increase security measures, including the installation of tracking systems, panic buttons, and updated delivery protocols to protect drivers from ambushes.
As the suspect prepares to face justice, the case has sparked debate about the safety of essential workers and the growing challenge of organized petty crime in economically strained communities.
