Durban - Two truck-loads of defence equipment intended for South Africa's strike craft and to outfit the new corvettes have disappeared after the trucks were hijacked.

It is almost certain the hijackers had no idea of the value of the cargoes, nor their purpose.

Although the first theft happened in July, there has been no sign of the "synchronous high-voltage gun-drive controller", which was intended for the navy's ageing strike craft.

In a later theft, a shipment of specialised cables from Cape Town-based Reunert Radar Systems was taken - also in a hijacking.

Espionage is not suspected, nor are police probing any links to alleged rightwing activity.

Instead, sources said they suspected the equipment had simply fallen prey to organised gangs of hijackers preying on freight vehicles on the N3, hoping to strike it rich.

Gerrit Oosthuizen of Reunert emphasised that, in neither case, were the goods sensitive.

He said the cables were replaced, but this had led to a slight delay in work on the craft - a delay that had been made up.

"The only possible buyer for the equipment that was taken would be the South African navy. We suspect the equipment has simply been abandoned somewhere, as it is quite useless to hijackers.

Electronic equipment for testing

A reward has been offered for the return of the goods, and we have put in an insurance claim."

Ironically, the hijackings come at a time when police statistics show a massive reduction in these crimes - down from 911 in 1999 to 569 last year.

Despite the drop, KwaZulu-Natal remains the second-worst province for truck hijackings, with 1 590 cases last year, after Gauteng.

The electronic equipment disappeared when a private freight company was transporting the system from the laboratories of Reutech Defence Industries in Pretoria to Durban, where it was to be tested on a strike craft.

Although the navy has bought four Corvettes as part of its controversial defence procurement deal, the first of the new corvettes will not be in service for roughly another two years.

Five strike craft of an original fleet of 12 constitute practically the entire offensive/defensive capability of the navy.

A sixth strike craft is used for testing equipment.

The stolen electronics were intended to upgrade the 76mm cannon on the vessels by making them easier to aim and operate.

Navy sources in Durban did not want to comment on the thefts, but described the loss of the equipment as "serious, and a big setback to a programme that has been running for a long time".

Attempts to contact the driver of the vehicle over several weeks were not successful.

However, the statement he gave police - and a copy of which the Witness has - is amazingly devoid of details.

The statement was made at Pinetown police station in Old Main Road, although the crime happened in Hillcrest. The case is being investigated under a Hillcrest case number.

In his statement the driver says that "while climbing up Cliffdale I noticed a vehicle giving me lights". He says he was pulled over by men in police uniform, in a car fitted with a blue light.

He claims he was told to take the Shongweni off-ramp and, after driving some distance, was told to park and get out of the vehicle.

Made to wait in sugarcane field

He claims he was taken into a sugarcane field by one of the men and told to "sit and wait".

After sitting with the armed man for about two hours, the hijacker's cell phone rang and the driver was told he could go back to the vehicle and drive off.

According to his statement, the driver did not immediately contact the police, but instead drove to his company's Durban depot.

In his statement, the driver does not describe his attackers or say when or precisely where the robbery took place.

Oosthuizen said the navy was informed in both instances.

He said his company uses only private courier companies to move "non-sensitive" goods that were in no way dangerous.

With acknowledgements to Zoubair Ayoob and www.news24.co.za