The Western Cape Social Development Department has reported that further arrests have been made in connection with the hijacking of its staff’s vehicles.
The department’s Esther Lewis told SmileFM that the incident relates to the recovery of a vehicle in Khayelitsha on 30 September, following a hijacking in Gugulethu earlier that month.
In a statement, the department welcomed the arrest, noting that “AFSOL”, law enforcement and the police were involved in the operation.
“One suspect was apprehended and another was shot in connection with the latest incident,” read the department’s statement.
No further case details were immediately available, and police have not been able to independently verify the incident.
The department noted that these additional arrests follow the arrest of two people earlier in September in connection with another hijacking incident.
READ MORE: Concerns over increase in attacks on WC government staff – Smile 90.4FM
At the time, MEC Wendy Kaizer-Philander also raised concerns over the uptick in hijackings in which its staff were victims.
Kaizer-Philander reiterated those concerns, noting that social workers and other frontline staff were increasingly being targeted while conducting home visits, monitoring visits to non-profit organisations, working at departmental offices and even at their homes.
“The attacks have also had a direct impact on staff members’ physical wellbeing. The Department has received around 20 Injury on Duty reports related to these incidents, with injuries often sustained when staff are forcibly dragged from vehicles,” said the department.
She added that staff sometimes struggle going into communities where their services are needed due to the trauma and anxiety.
The MEC said the attacks were particularly concerning given the importance of social workers to children and vulnerable families.
“At the Voice of the Child event, we heard directly from children about the impact that social workers have in their lives and the support they need from us. One of the things that came through very clearly was the value children place on having social workers visit them in their communities and provide the support they need to feel safe and well,” she said.
Further to this, Kaizer-Philander said her department is considering alternative arrangements and bolstered security measures when staff are delivering services.
She said more must be done to find the root causes of these attacks, so that those can be addressed.
“We cannot allow these incidents to become normalised in our communities… We need to work together to root out this growing criminality that is preventing our officials from safely reaching the communities they serve. This is simply unacceptable… We will continue to monitor this situation closely and consider further joint interventions where necessary,” Kaizer-Philander said.
