Islamic Relief hijacked in Philippi while helping residents hit by floods

Ten gunmen hijacked staff and volunteers from Islamic Relief South Africa when they went to Brown’s Farm in Philippi, Cape Town, on Sunday 14 July to distribute food to people whose homes had been flooded.

The organisation’s car was stolen but a few hours later police recovered it about 10km away.

Community leaders in Brown’s Farm said they were aware of the incident and urged residents to help stop robberies by identifying perpetrators.

Islamic Relief has been working with Cape Town Disaster Risk Management to help families affected by fierce storms and flooding, providing hot meals, water, sandbags, mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits and other items, especially in informal settlements.

A representative, Safwaan Mohamed, said shortly after the team had delivered water and hot meals to 798 people in Brown’s Farm on Sunday, the gunmen surrounded them and held them at gunpoint. “Everyone was completely shaken up, both staff and volunteers. Six staff members and six volunteers were involved in the aid distribution when the hijacking took place.”

He said none of the staff or volunteers - all high school graduates or university students - had been harmed, but they were traumatised. “Currently they are going through trauma counselling,” he said.

Islamic Relief had provided emergency support to more than 10,000 people affected by the storms to date, said Mohamed. But with more than 100,000 people affected and more bad weather on the way, the organisation was ramping up its efforts, he said.

Mohamed said the organisation had been in Siqalo informal settlement this week with a SAPS and Law Enforcement escort. “We will be there even tomorrow.”

He said they were grateful to police “for their swift action in retrieving the vehicle, which was found stripped in Nyanga, and for providing a law enforcement escort, which allowed the organisation to continue its vital work”. In future, Islamic Relief would work more closely with SAPS when delivering aid to communities affected by the storms, he said.

Siqalo informal settlement leader Sakhumzi Kakaza said the robberies were affecting the community directly. “At the end of the day it is us who will suffer if this relief doesn’t come. These criminals are opportunists who take advantage of the situation,” said Kakaza.

Thamsanqa Khabiqheya, a community leader in Siyahlala informal settlement where the hijacking took place, said neighbourhood watches in Brown’s Farm were unarmed, making it difficult for members to stop the robberies.

“Someone knows who these perpetrators are. It’s a friend or a brother of someone but people don’t want to talk because they fear for their lives,” said Khabiqheya.

Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said the case was under investigation by Nyanga police.