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This document was designed with the following in mind:

• To educate the public
• To assist the public in recognising what a suspicious vehicle and person may look like
• To emphasise the seriousness of hijackings on the person reading this awareness guide.

Hijacking is not a new or unique problem to South Africa.

The first hijacking was recorded in 1984.

Between January and August 1996, there were 8 740 hijackings in South Africa, of which 5 251 were in Gauteng.

Hijacking is also not only a problem just associated with industrial areas; e.g. Wadeville in Germiston, but rather a problem associated with the availability of a certain of vehicle.

In 90% of these cases the hijackers were armed, although only 1% of attacks involved a fatal shooting. This means that the better prepared a potential victim is, the greater probability of the person surviving the attack with limited physical injury.