Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: CEN

This image shows a car in South Africa chained to a lamppost in a bid to beat thieves in the country where over 50,000 motors were nicked last year.

According to local media, the Ford Figo was snapped by estate agent Trudy Beetge on Alan Paton Road in Glenwood in the city of Durban, located in the eastern South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, as she was driving past the parked car.

Car jacking and vehicle theft are a huge problem in South Africa where over 50,000 motors were nicked last year, according to reports.

Picture Credit: CEN/Trudy Beetge

Noting that the car was chained to a lamppost outside an apartment block, Beetge thought that it was “hilarious”.

She told local media: “When I saw it, I was like ‘no man, this cannot be real’ so I did a u-turn to see if it was really was chained to the pole.”

Her photo was widely shared on Facebook where netizen ‘Pete Graham’ claimed: “My dad invented this in 1952 in Durban… never had a car stolen.”

Beetge thinks that the Ford Figo may belong to a student, telling reporters: “I don’t know who the owner is, but something tells me it might be a schoolboy from the school across the street who just got his first car but can’t afford insurance!”

Netizen ‘Melody Mrsl Luthuli’ commented: “I see this car everyday on my way to work. It is more hilarious when you watch the owner unlock and pack the chain away!”

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