A surveillance video circulating online shows an attempted hijacking outside the Ga-Rankuwa Cemetery on Tuesday, 5 August 2025.
Shocking daylight ambush near Ga-Rankuwa cemetery
The footage has gained widespread attention due to the boldness of the crime and how quickly the incident unfolded.
The video shows a group of suspects waiting in a parked car at the cemetery entrance around 16:34.
As a white off-road SUV drives into view, the suspects immediately pull into its path and block the road. Several men jump out of the car and rush toward the SUV.
But the driver quickly reverses and escapes without being harmed.
The suspects then flee the scene and are believed to have headed into the nearby Tsunami area.
The attackers remain at large, and authorities are still investigating.
How car hijackings typically happen
Hijackings in South Africa usually involve armed criminals who target drivers when they are most vulnerable — such as at intersections, driveways, or parking areas.
In the Ga-Rankuwa incident, the attackers used a premeditated method.
They waited for the vehicle they had identified as a target, blocked its path, and tried to overwhelm the driver before the person could respond.
In many hijacking cases, attackers use surprise and speed to force victims out of their cars quickly.
If a driver doesn’t immediately cooperate, the situation can turn violent. Fortunately, in this case, the quick thinking of the driver prevented a possible tragedy.
Hijacking remains a serious problem in South Africa
Although the South African Police Service (SAPS) says hijackings have gone down in the last year, the problem remains severe.
Between January and March 2025, 4,533 cars were hijacked — about 50 vehicles a day.
That’s a 15.1% drop compared to the same time in 2024, but still a high number.
According to the SAPS, Gauteng remains the worst-affected province, with 2,488 hijackings recorded in just three months — more than half of all cases in the country.
Areas like Ivory Park in Midrand, Mamelodi East, and Jabulani in Johannesburg top the list of hijacking hotspots.
Ivory Park alone reported 67 hijackings during the period, averaging nearly one case a day.