• Tweet

CLOSE SHAVE: Pastor Jo Mdhlela whose car was hijacked by fake police. PHOTO: SIBUSISO MSIBI

RELATED ARTICLES

• Car hijack victim's nightmare - What it feels like to have your precious life in the hands of someone else
• Confessions of a car hijacker
• Priest in hospital after stabbing
• Hijack victim could regain his eyesight
• A woman's rape ordeal
• Rogue cop in blue light gang arrest
• Hijackers turn out to be police

The gang, armed with assault rifles, struck at about 10pm on Monday while the priest, who is also a former political journalist, was about to reach his house in the suburb of Fairleads in Benoni.

Police said that the gang has been terrorising the area since March and they have been working around the clock to arrest them.

Well-respected Anglican priest Jo Mangaliso Mdhlela said he was about 700m from home when he saw the blue light flashing and thought it was the police.

"I thought I was going to die.

"I was calm when I stopped, because I believed they were police officers. It looked real because a police siren also went off.

"One of them pressed the mouth of an assault rifle against my head. I was terrified, the whole action made me numb.

"I am not sure whether the guns were AK 47s, or any of the R range," he said.

He said there were five gang members that he counted during the debacle. All of them were armed with rifles.

"They dragged me out of my car and searched me. They took my wallet. There was R500 in it. They were screaming at me to switch off the tracking device in the car. I was just scared, and I think I told them I did not know how to do it."

His assailants then disappeared into the night with his Mercedes-Benz 200 Kompressor closely followed by the white VW Polo fitted with blue lights and a police siren.

"I say thanks God I am alive. I pleaded with them to take everything and let me live. I heard them say we going to kill you now. I was so relieved when they drove off," he said.

Mdhlela is a former political correspondent of the Sowetan and editor of the Human Right Commission's publications and South African Council of Churches spokesman.

Crystal Park police spokeswoman Tryna Wolmarans said: "Unfortunately Mdhlela was hijacked. This is the first in our area by this gang. They started being a problem around late March, firstly in the Benoni area where about four or five hijackings were reported. Midrand has had about one recently."

Mdhlela said he would never again stop for an unmarked police vehicle with officers not in uniform.

"I had wanted to speed off but realised that I was surrounded," said Mdhlela.

He said he would have had to make a U-turn to drive to the police station and it would not have been practical considering that the men were armed.

Mdhlela is a priest at the Tokoza's Saint Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church. He also has business interests in marketing.

He resigned at the HRC at the beginning of the year.

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Wed May 22 15:09:06 SAST 2013 ::

May 9, 2012

Mosquer

You nearly saw Jesus
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

TjoVtjo

Le khekhe laka sis May, ali sekho mnandi!
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

Phunyukabemphethe

Crime does not respect any association. At least you are still alive, Say thanks to Almighty
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

SAMONYOBINYOBI

Thank God you are not injured man of God....
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

Pointman

The priest robs his "flock" by stealth - salvation and all that bull. Now he got robbed fair and square.
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

tpaz

How do you switch off the tracking device in the car. Dum.b criminals?
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

swona

and when I told police who randomly stopped me two weeks back, that they act is similar to that of criminals, they verbally abussed on De Wikkus Road! I still mantain cops are not suppose to follow and stop moving cars! I still have their picture on my phone, bloody constables!
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

Keafixa

i've realised that our police officers don't know how prioritise and investigate cases.......they only know how to arrest drunk drivers and assault patrons and tavern owners.
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

K-Austin

so man of god o tshaba Leso.....tjo
Report Abuse

May 9, 2012

WordofGod

Psalm 91:11-12, For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Report Abuse

Read all 31 comments