‘My kids are my whole world’: Father recounts Pinetown hijacking ordeal - IOL

Sidney Hill South Africa – 28 October 2026 – A father, Sidney Hill, defended his two young children during an attempted hijacking outside his home in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, on 9 October. The confrontation escalated into a shootout, leaving one alleged attacker dead and a second suspect subsequently arrested. The incident gained widespread attention after footage of the attempted hijacking circulated on social media. Picture: Leon Lestrade / ANA Studio.

A Pinetown father says he returned fire during an attempted hijjacking outside his New Germany home, killing one alleged attacker and injuring another, to protect his children.

Sidney Hill, a 52-year-old security operations manager, was with his two children when the incident unfolded on October 9, just four days after the family moved into the property.

Hill, who has 25 years of experience in the security industry and a military (SANDF) background, said he became suspicious when a vehicle approached his driveway and then stopped.

“I have been in the security game too long, so when I saw the headlights coming close, I knew what was about to happen,” he said.

He recalled how the occupants of the vehicle appeared to watch him before stopping and opening the car doors.

Hill said he was inside his vehicle with his daughter seated next him, while his son was standing at the front gate.

One of the suspects ran towards his 16-year-old son and held him at gunpoint, while the second approached him and his daughter.

“The first guy ran straight to my son and held him at gunpoint. The second suspect ran around the car and came straight to me and my daughter,” he said.

Hill said the second suspect began shooting at him, prompting him to shield his daughter before returning fire.

“I threw myself against my daughter, and returned fire, hitting him,” he said.

Sidney Hill's vehicle smashed into the tree.

Fourteen bullet rounds were fired at his vehicle. During the gunfire, Hill said he took his foot off the accelerator in the process, which resulted in the bakkie rolling and crashing into the tree. 

The confrontation continued as the suspects attempted to flee. Hill said the man who had held his son at gunpoint turned around and fired at him, striking him in the right knee and arm.

Hill said he fired back as the suspects fled before turning his attention to his children.

“I jumped out of the vehicle and made sure my kids were okay. My son ran to his sister and pulled her out of the car,” he said.

Hill said he approached the first suspect, who was shot and was lying on the road.

The incident left the family shaken, with Hill particularly concerned about the psychological impact on his children, who witnessed the violence.

“It is not nice for kids to see. They know what type of job I do, but now they know exactly what I do. It is heartbreaking,” he said.

Hill said the family had sought psychological support following the incident, but the trauma continued to affect their daily lives.

“Today is my daughter's 18th birthday and instead of celebrating, she will be going to see a psychologist for trauma counselling. It is just not fair on my children who now fear every car they see and every person at the gate.”

He said his daughter was now reluctant to go anywhere without him, while his son had become more cautious when opening the property's gate, often waiting for his brother to accompany him.

“It is small little things like that that you can see is eating at them. I can see the fear in them, I just want to erase this awful memory for them,” he said.

As a single father, Hill said his children's safety remained his biggest concern.

“All I could think about was looking after my kids, making sure they did not get injured, and trying to neutralise the situation as quickly as I could,” he said.

When sundaytribune.co.za spoke to Hill’s 18-year-old son, he appeared shaken up and still in shock.

He was the one who came to his younger brother’s aid, protecting him. 

Hill’s two eldest children are currently in matric and pursuing their GED as they are home schooled. 

Sidney Hill's vehicle riddled with bullets.

The incident attracted widespread attention after footage of the confrontation circulated on social media approximately two weeks later, on October 22/23.

Hill said he was surprised when people began contacting him about the video, which he believed had originated from the vehicle's dash camera.

He said the footage had been shared with the detective investigating the case and vehicle-tracking company but he did not know how it became public.

“I remember I was going to Richards Bay and my phone started buzzing with messages of people who saw the video. They said it was all over the internet and I was a hero. I do not know how it was circulated because it was directly from my dashcam."

While the video drew messages of support, Hill said he had also faced criticism from some people who questioned his actions.

However, he maintained that his priority had been protecting his children and that he did not regret his response.

“I do not regret doing it. My kids are safe,” he said.

Hill added that he believed the incident demonstrated how quickly a hijacking could escalate into a life-threatening situation, even for someone with extensive security experience.

He said he had previously been involved in an attempted hijacking where he also shot a suspect.

Despite his experience, Hill said the latest incident had been particularly distressing because his children were present.

Hill said he is aware of people who want to see him arrested.

“People say that I should be arrested. If I was wrong, yes.  But I was not wrong. The race card is being played because I am a  white man. 

“I do not believe there is colour anymore in South Africa, there should not be colour. I acted as a father and protected my children.”

Hill said the family's concerns extended beyond the immediate trauma, with the circulation of the footage leaving his children worried that people now knew where they lived.

He said his family had moved from Kloof to New Germany because they had been offered the opportunity to stay at a friend's property while renovations were being carried out.

The family had been at the new home for only four days when the hijacking occurred.

Hill said the incident had reinforced his belief that crime could happen anywhere, regardless of where a person lived.

A BackaBuddy fundraising campaign was also launched by a friend in Kloof to help Hill and his children deal with the aftermath of the incident.

He said the funds would go towards helping the children adjust to the upheaval in their lives and supporting their mental health.

Des Brown, a community patroller, said he rushed to the scene after hearing gunshots during a shooting incident in the area. 

“I found Sidney, injured and in shock, with his children hysterical, and immediately secured the road to preserve the crime scene while waiting for emergency services. I was the first one on the scene and I just took over,” Brown said.

Brown alleged that police and ambulance services took about an hour to arrive, leaving him and other community members to secure the scene in the interim.

“I preserved the crime scene for an hour,” he said, adding that footage from the area's network of 32 community-funded security cameras captured the incident and the arrival of emergency services.

Brown believes the suspects were opportunists who had been driving around the area before allegedly spotting their target. 

“The cameras caught the suspects following a Mercedes-Benz into the area before they came across Sidney.”

He said the community had invested in surveillance cameras and a neighbourhood patrol network to respond quickly to crime. 

KZN police spokesperson, Colonel Paul Magwaza a 35-year-old suspect was arrested in KwaDabeka and is facing charges of attempted carjacking, attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.