Reward offered in the tragic hijacking incident in Pretoria

Picture courtesy: (Twitter/@Gift_Makoti_) A young boy lost his life in a Pretoria hijacking incident witnessed by his father. The tragic event unfolded right before his eyes.

(The Post News)– In a devastating incident in Pretoria, a five-year-old boy lost his life in a hijacking gone horribly wrong. The boy, identified as Ditebogo Junior, was shot in front of his father as he arrived home on Friday evening. The incident occurred in Soshanguve, Tshwane, during a violent hijacking involving his father’s Toyota Hilux bakkie.

“The boy’s face brightened with joy as he spotted his father and dashed outside, bubbling with excitement. Unfortunately, he was unaware that he would be shot. Despite the father’s cooperation during the hijacking, he lost his life after being rushed to a nearby clinic. The family is struggling to cope, especially since the mother recently gave birth.” Said the family spokesperson, Mr. Sam Kwenda.

The father had described how one of the armed men holding a gun to his head seemed to be on some substances and “trigger happy.” As he arrived home at approximately 22:30, driving the white Toyota bakkie, his son went out to welcome him home. An unspecified group of armed suspects reportedly hijacked the father and shot the five-year-old boy, who passed away in the hospital. Ditebogo Junior had just become a big brother the previous week as the family welcomed a baby girl.

Residents reported that when patrollers were present, criminals would simply move the activities to other areas. This led to the abandonment of patrols due to insufficient funds to pay the patrollers. According to the resident, Christopher Katane, “criminals would wait for the patrollers to leave for work and then break into homes. The sound of gunfire in this area no longer surprises anyone,” he said.

The family of Ditebogo is heartbroken, and they appeal to anyone with information to come forward and assist the authorities in their investigation. Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie has announced a R250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individuals responsible for this tragic murder. The police are actively searching for suspects, and they have opened a case of murder and hijacking for investigation.