Durban — Police have stepped in to deal with the spate of truck-torching incidents in KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces. This comes after two trucks from companies NiDa and Zingaro were set alight on the N2 freeway on Monday night, a day after 11 trucks were torched in separate incidents on Van Reneen’s Pass in KZN and in Mpumalanga.
Police management will brief the nation on Wednesday on the police’s response to acts of violence targeting freight trucks in KZN, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces.
Police Ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said the briefing, which will be attended by the provincial commissioners of the affected provinces, will provide updates on the police’s response to the acts of criminality as well as plans in place to track down the culprits and bring them to book.
There are growing concerns about the burning of trucks on South Africa’s main highways, totalling 16 trucks in the space of a week.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that the torching of trucks seemed to be economic sabotage.
“I am concerned about these activities that take place that have a negative impact on our economy and it’s almost like an economic sabotage because burning six trucks on the main artery of our country, in terms of the economy, is concerning. The intelligence agencies are going to be giving me a report on that and the police will be taking steps to make sure that we forestall whatever follow-up activity that those behind this may well be planning,” he said.
Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association (RFA), said the most important thing about this is it has been ongoing for the past six years, if not longer.
“The perpetrators are yet unknown and you can tell that it was well coordinated. Firearms were used and the timing and the location that was used at Van Reenen was well-chosen to cause the greatest amount of disruption, havoc and fear. Nothing was stolen in either truck, which makes it not your normal scene of a looting incident,” said Kelly.
He said the question is who is behind this? Is it the same group who bemoaned the employment of foreign nationals as drivers in the sector?
“If it is them, why did they resort to violence once again? Why have they made people afraid to use the national roads? Even the outside markets will think twice before using South Africa as a route. The RFA has numerous times called on the government to take action and the Department of Labour to deal with those who don’t comply with the labour laws and employ illegal foreigners,” he said.
He urged the police to use their intelligence branches so that this doesn’t continue because businesses will close, the economy will suffer, investors will move away from South Africa, unemployment will soar and the country will keep going backwards.
The SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) condemned the attacks directed at the road freight industry “with the strongest terms it deserves”.
“It is, in fact, a very barbaric act that must be dealt with harshly. It can’t be a norm that every week there are trucks destroyed. It is very clear that truck drivers are not safe at all in this country,” said Satawu in a statement.
It has called on police to escort truck drivers to avoid such incidents.
KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Sipho Hlomuka welcomed the decision by the provincial commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to assemble a high-level police team following the incidents.
Speaking at the annual Southern African Transport Conference, which is under way in Pretoria, national Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said there was a need for regulations to build more resilient South African transport.
Trucking and freight expert Paul Nordengen, director of Heavy Vehicle Transport Technology Africa and president of the International Forum for Road Transport Technology, said South Africa already has regulations but needs enforcement.
“The burning of trucks is not something new, as we saw a similar incident years ago. It is clearly recurring because there is no strict enforcement done to the perpetrators. Most people don’t realise the importance of the freight industry; everything you buy in the shops has been in a truck. Also, the recent large increase of trucks on our roads is because of our failing rail system.”
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