MISA demands urgent crackdown on freeway killers!
22 October 2026
For immediate release
MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association strongly condemns the murder of a motorist who was shot and killed during an alleged robbery after stopping alongside the N1. Reports indicate that the victim was forced to pull over after his vehicle was allegedly damaged by spikes deliberately placed on the road by criminals, on Sunday night on the 18th of October. MISA extends its deepest condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones during this devastating time. This tragedy is not an isolated incident. It forms part of an alarming pattern of violent crime targeting motorists on South Africa's highways.
Earlier this year, MISA warned motorists about a rise incidents after rocks were placed on the N4 Eastbound between Silver Lakes and Donkerhoek. The warning followed a frightening incident in which a MISA employee narrowly escaped a suspected spiking trap near Krugersdorp. In August, MISA again condemned the death of a woman after a rock was allegedly thrown through her windscreen from a bridge in Bedfordview.
These attacks are not random acts of violence. They are organised criminal tactics repeatedly deployed on known routes and at known hotspots. Criminals continue to exploit poorly lit roads, inadequate policing, and the absence of a visible law-enforcement presence, while innocent motorists pay with their lives.
"Just two months ago, we warned that our roads must not become killing fields. Today, another family is mourning a loved one who left home and never returned," says Martlé Keyter, Chief Executive Officer: Operations at MISA.
"The locations where these crimes occur are well known. Many of these routes are monitored by cameras. South Africans deserve to know why these criminals continue to operate with apparent impunity. The perpetrators responsible for this murder must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted without delay."
MISA further believes that growing public concern about crime cannot be separated from the ongoing allegations of corruption, criminal infiltration, and political interference within law-enforcement structures.
"South Africans are tired of promises while criminals continue to terrorise communities and motorists," adds Keyter. "The fight against crime requires a police service that is fully focused on protecting citizens and bringing offenders to justice."
MISA repeats the demand for increased visible policing and dedicated patrols at identified spiking and rock-throwing hotspots, particularly at night. Authorities must use freeway surveillance and camera footage to identify and prosecute those responsible. We also demand improved lighting and safety infrastructure on high-risk freeway stretches; and public reporting by the SAPS on arrests, prosecutions, and convictions linked to road-spiking and rock-throwing incidents.
Every motorist has the right to reach home safely. South Africans cannot continue to live with the fear that a routine journey could become a death sentence.
Issued by Sonja Carstens, Manager: MISA Media & Communication Department, on behalf of the Union. For media enquiries, contact Phakamile Hlubi-Majola on 083 367 6417 or email [email protected].
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