Car Key Suspect in Custody

CRIME WAVE: Several unsavoury incidents have occurred near Witsands. Photo Sebastian Staines

The 30-year-old was arrested with an unlicensed firearm and car keys linked to the victim, and the arrest of other suspects was "imminent", SA Police Service spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana told TimesLive. Police have still not named the man who was killed.

The arrest comes after members of the Crime Prevention Unit and detectives followed up on leads linked to the murder of the surfer, who was car-jacked near Witsands after a surf on Wednesday evening. A paddleout was held off Scarborough at the end of last week in remembrance.

Ocean View police spokesperson Leon Fortuin said that the man had just finished surfing at Witsand near the Crayfish Factory when he was attacked by two men, who put him in the boot of his car.

IN MEMORY: Shocked friends and members of the surfing community paddled out. Photo Sam Tome

Fortuin said that the hijackers picked up two female hitch-hikers on Slangkop Road, the road that turns off at the Ocean View Police Station towards Scarborough. When the women realised there was a person in the boot of the car, they demanded to be let out. However, according to Fortuin, the men refused. In the ensuing melee, the car crashed into a vehicle.

“The other driver gave chase, because he thought it was a drunk driver,” Fortuin has been reported as saying. “When they stopped, he saw four people getting out (of the hijacked car). Then two men pointed firearms, so the driver pulled away.

With the men distracted, the two women took flight and escaped. The driver of the other car watched from a distance, "and saw them scratching in the car" before "setting the car alight".

The two women have apparently told the police that the man was still alive, which was further corroborated after police found his body in a position that suggested he had been trying to climb out of the car.

CRIME AREA: Lifestyle Surf Shop issued this warning to surfers on Instagram after the incident.

Social media has been abuzz with warnings about a spate of incidents in the area, including attacks on cyclists.

Speaking on Cape Talk this morning, big wave surfer Frank Solomon urged the new premier of the Western Cape to make it a safer province, saying that people were tired of violent crime.

"What do you do and when do you say enough is enough? Can I not go surfing now? Do we all just sit home in fear? This is quite a scary time," he said.

Incidents or suspicious behaviour should be reported to Neighbourhood Watch groups and the SAPS located in Ocean View, which can be reached on 021 783 8300. There is also an emergency City of Cape Town number listed, which is to be used when you are calling for help from a cellphone – 021 480 7700.