Quote:
Originally Posted by Willem Fick
It is quite common, but mostly focused on particular vehicles and particular neighborhoods for very specific reasons:
There is a massive appetite for off-road vehicles, as these get "exported" to north of our borders. Also in the mix is general high-end vehicles (BMW, Mercedes etc.) that are "sanitized" and resold into the market either complete or in parts. Lastly certain brands (many Toyota models) are sought after as they provide a cheap source of spare parts for various industries - notably the local taxi industry.
Another "thing" is that a hijacking often goes with a home invasion in upper middle class or affluent neighborhoods (this is actually what happened to my colleague).
Typically in this case the car is secondary to the matter, as the homeowner is hijacked as he enters his gates, the house then robbed, and if practical the car used as a getaway vehicle. More often than not the hijacking is really only a mechanism to get in, and in many instances the getaway car is brought to site with the robbers. This most often is a previously hijacked large luxury car (Mercedes BMW, Land Rover) as they are fast and robust. These are incidentally also used in cash in transit robberies, as the average big luxury car is very capable of ramming and toppling an armored car without injuring the occupant of the ramming vehicle.
As for the future? We are on a very slippery slope, and man it sucks.
Sadly options are few, so best we grit our teeth and deal with it. I'd lie if I said emigration was not a thought on my mind, but that is damned near impossible these days as most first world countries have (very necessary!) draconian anti-immigration legislation that makes such a move the stuff of dreams!
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Please look into migrating to Australia. Many South Africans have done so recently. I personally know of two families that have recently arrived in Adelaide and are doing well.
If you have certain job "skills" or training it's much easier to get here. For instance occupations like Audiologists and other medical professions are very sought after.
Also... The weather in South Australia is very similar to South Africa. I'm sure you'd love it here.