A senior Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff member escaped unharmed after being hijacked in Khayelitsha on Monday afternoon.
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirmed that the incident occurred on 22 June at around 3pm, as the staff member was travelling to the EMS base in the area.
“The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness can confirm that on 22 June, one of our Emergency Medical Services employees was targeted in a hijacking in Khayelitsha,” the department said.
“This incident occurred around 3pm, when she was heading to the EMS base in the area.
“While our staff member was not physically harmed, she is traumatised and is receiving counselling and support through our employee wellness programme.
“Following the incident, a case was opened with the South African Police Service and we are working closely with SAPS to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.”
The hijacked vehicle, an EMS double cab response vehicle, was recovered later the same day.
“The vehicle was recovered just after 4pm on the same day and was damaged, with the dashboard ripped open, found with scratches and the canopy missing,” the department added.
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala said a 56-year-old woman was approached by armed suspects while walking toward her work vehicle.
“According to reports, a 56-year-old female victim was walking toward her work vehicle when gunmen approached her, forced her inside and drove off with her,” Gwala said.
Police were alerted by a bystander who witnessed the incident, prompting a search operation. The victim was later found unharmed and the vehicle recovered, albeit with interior damage. The suspects remain at large and investigations are ongoing.
The hijacking comes just days after EMS official Lionel Rossi died while pursuing robbers who had allegedly stolen his cellphone during a smash-and-grab incident along Jan van Riebeeck Drive in Elsies River.
Rossi, who was from Paarl, reportedly suffered a heart attack. Police have opened an inquest docket to determine the exact cause of death.
The Department of Health and Wellness revealed that between April 2025 and 17 March 2026, it recorded 90 safety-related incidents involving EMS personnel and vehicles. These included 23 stoning incidents, 12 robberies, seven assaults, 23 physical threats, eight verbal threats and eight thefts.
Following Rossi’s death, police arrested seven suspects — most of them minors aged between 13 and 16 — believed to be linked to smash-and-grab incidents in Elsies River. They were later released.
The recent incidents have raised renewed concerns about the safety of emergency workers operating in high-risk areas across the province.
