Police colonel hijacked
among shacks
By Daily Dispatch on
September 9, 2014 in
A SENIOR crime intelligence officer was hijacked, robbed and assaulted
by three men in East London on Sunday night.
Colonel BonganiMaqashalala, one of the most senior policeman in the
Eastern Cape Crime Intelligence Division, was driving in the AmagaliAbomvu
informal settlement near the East London Airport when the thugs struck. The
incident occurred after 7pm.
BonganiMaqashalala, one of the most senior policeman in the Eastern Cape
Crime Intelligence Division was hijacked, robbed and assaulted by three men in
East London.
A police officer who was at the scene of the crime and spoke to the
Daily Dispatch on condition of anonymity said the colonel had gone to the
informal settlement to fetch his gardener when he got lost and started asking
for directions.
“As he was busy talking to locals there, three men appeared from the
dark carrying guns.
They started pointing their firearms at the colonel and started bashing
him with the weapons,” said the officer.
He said the robbers took the officer’s state firearm and demanded his
wallet.
“They then took him to the bushes where they tied him up. One of the
suspects asked for the card pin and went to the Greenfields shopping centre
where he withdrew a maximum amount of R3000 from officer’s account.
“The suspect later returned and handed over the card and the vehicle to
the officer.
The officer said the colonel went to Fleet Street police station to
report the matter.
“All big guns from Organised Crimes Unit in East London rushed to Fleet
Street upon hearing the news to console the officer.
“They then summoned members of the East London Flying Squad and Tactical
Response Team to go hunt the suspects,” said the officer. He said when the
units arrived at the informal settlement they quickly went to a local tavern
and shut it down.
“The tavern was filled to capacity and everyone was made to lie down as
the members continued searching for the colonel’s firearm and money.
“He arrived and we conducted an identity parade which came out negative,
the suspects were not there,” he said.
The officer said Maqashalala was then escorted to an unidentified East
London hospital where he was treated and discharged.
His phone was off yesterday when contacted for comment.
Provincial police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills confirmed the
hijacking and said a case of armed robbery was registered at the Fleet Street
police station. There had been no arrests. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
