Q. 1: Are most cars hijacked on order by syndicates?
Answer: Yes, I would get a phone call to deliver a certain type of car by a
certain deadline, and then we'd go out and search for one. If they needed it
quickly, I would hijack. If I had a bit more time I'd steal a parked car, as
it was safer.

Q. 2: Which types of vehicles are the most popular amongst hijackers?
Answer: We would get orders to steal just about anything. Double-cab
bakkies, any make, were in very high demand. Also, "G-strings" (BMW
3-series), Polo's, Mercedes and Toyotas. I'd get paid a lot more for a
double-cab, around R16 000, but only about R500 to R6 000 for a car. If it
was an expensive car like the "Anaconda" (BMW 7-series) I could get about 15
grand, though.

Q. 3: Which cars have the lowest hijack risk?
Answer: There's no such thing. There's a demand for all sorts of cars, old
and new. If the vehicle isn't sold then it's stripped for spares. The only
thing there isn't really an interest in is expensive exotics. I once stole a
Ferrari from a garage just for fun, drove it around for a while and then
left it back at the garage.

Q. 4: Do most of the cars that aren't stripped end up beyond our borders?
Answer: No, a lot stay in the country. They are given new identities,
re-registered and sold here.

Q. 5: How effective are modern anti-theft and tracking systems?
Answer: When I was stealing cars three years ago, most of them were a joke.
I could break into almost any car and drive it away within minutes. Some
cars were very advanced and a lot of work to steal though, like Volvos. With
tracking systems, it was usually very easy to find where the device was
hidden. While one guy drove the car, his accomplices would strip the
interior looking for the tracker's hiding place. Then sometimes we'd place
the tracking unit into a taxi and trick the police and the helicopters into
following the taxi. Nowadays the tracking systems are getting a lot better
though, with quicker response times, and towards the end I nearly got caught
a couple of times.

Q. 6: How did you learn how to override these high-tech systems?
Answer: Experience, and learning from other car thieves. We all shared
information. If I was having difficulty with a particular car, sometimes I'd
dress up nicely and go to a dealer posing as a customer. I'd ask the
salesman how good the anti-theft system was on that car and he would give me
all the details.

Q. 7: What was your hijacking modus operandi?
Answer: We would get people in their driveways, on the way to work or on
their way home. Rainy weather is the best time to steal cars. When it's
raining it makes it more difficult for the tracking helicopters to find you.

Q. 8: In a hijacking did you normally go for soft targets like women?
Answer: No, I could take on anyone. I was a professional. Some people wore
guns but never got a chance to use them as I was too fast. I'd stick my gun
right in their faces and they wouldn't give me any trouble. That's why I
never shot or hurt anyone; I was against that. A friend of mine sometimes
shot people he hijacked and he used to wake up with nightmares.

Q. 9: Which area s did you target?
Answer: Any white suburb, it didn't matter. I never stole in the townships
because people were poor there. I also didn't rob black people.

Q 10: Is that because you don't like whites?
Answer: No, it's because darkies are dangerous. If you rob them, they go to
a sangoma who would "take care" of you.

Q. 11: How much money did you make?
Answer: A lot, but I wasted it all. It was easy come, easy go. Some money
would go to police and judges and prison officials in bribes. I got caught a
few times but was never convicted. Bribing a police officer to lose a docket
cost about R2 000 to R5 000. The only time I spent in jail was awaiting
trial. Then I'd bribe the prison guard to help me escape.

Q. 12: Is this the norm, or were you lucky?
Answer: I knew how to find the loopholes and beat the system. Some of my
friends were caught and convicted to 8 or 12 years or more.

Q. 13: What made you stop crime?
Answer: I saw I had nothing to show for all those years. I felt guilty for
what I'd done and wanted to achieve something in my life. That's why I do
community work persuading other people not to do crime, and I ' m also a
fashion designer. I ' m struggling with money now. My sewing machine broke
and I can't afford to fix it, but I won't go back to crime. That life is a
stupid life.

Q. 14: What is your advice to motorists to avoid hijacking?
Answer: Look out for people following you. Some hijackers spot a car they
want and follow the person home. Be aware. If you're suspicious, make a few
false turns and see if that car is still behind you. If it is, drive to a
police station.