The official G20 police vehicle targeted in the attempted hijacking incident. Picture Credits: MSN
By Thulane Madalane
Johannesburg – A suspected hijacker was shot by members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) in Johannesburg on Friday after he attempted to take over an official G20 vehicle carrying police officers deployed for summit security duties.
According to an impeccable source, the man — acting alone — confronted the officers using what appeared to be a firearm, later believed to be a toy gun. He reportedly tried to force the officers out of the vehicle before being shot. His condition has not yet been confirmed.
Police had not officially commented on the incident at the time of publication.
The attempted hijacking comes as South Africa maintains one of its highest security operations in recent years, with world leaders, heads of government and global delegates gathered at the G20 Leaders’ Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
Security around the venue has been extremely tight. Entrances have been restricted, vehicle access heavily controlled, and armed law-enforcement officers have continuously patrolled the perimeter. Leaders attending include China’s Premier Li Qiang, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chính, and Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
More than 3,500 police officers have been deployed for the event, supported by military units placed on standby. NATJOINTS — the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure — continues to issue daily intelligence assessments on potential threats.
“What the intelligence communities communicate to the joint structure is verified information ready to be operationalised,” SAPS deputy national commissioner for policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, said this week.
Mosikili added that Operation Shanela, a nationwide crime-prevention strategy, remains active throughout the summit to identify patterns, high-risk zones and security threats. The operation focuses on combating violent crime through roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints, stop-and-searches, and high-visibility patrols across all nine provinces.
