MINISTER of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has assured the nation that the N3 highway between Johannesburg and Durban is open after it was closed following the attacks last week.
The minister said on Sunday that despite getting a message earlier that the highway was not open it was opened on Saturday with free-flowing traffic.
She said members of the army were deployed at hot spot areas on the N3 to protect it.
This was a major trade route between the two economic centres of Durban and Johannesburg and it needed to be protected, she said.
“In the afternoon I received a message that the N3 was not flowing. N3 was opened yesterday. We have members of the defence force in hot spot areas. N3 is open because it is important for them to open because N3 is a trade route. There is patrol there and deployment of people in the hot spots,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
The N3 and N2 on the North Coast were severely affected when traffic was disrupted last week.
Mapisa-Nqakula said they had to secure the N3 because it was an important and strategic route.
Political Bureau