President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the police and other law enforcement agencies will nab those behind the torching of trucks across the country.
He said they would not allow a group of people to sabotage the economy.
He said he directed the SAPS, intelligence agencies and other security structures to go after the people burning trucks.
They have no place in society.
But the net was closing in on them.
Earlier police minister Bheki Cele said they had identified 12 people who are behind the spate of attacks on the trucks.
The trucks have been burnt in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo in the past few days.
The government has also deployed the army in strategic areas to deal with the problem.
Ramaphosa, who was addressing the National Rural Youth Service Corps in Nigel on Wednesday, said they will not allow South Africa to become a lawless country and be held at ransom by a group of people.
He said they would go after them.
“I have directed the police supported by other security agencies to spare nothing but to do all they have to do to find these people because South Africa cannot have people like that who do as they wish, kill people, burn trucks and block our trucks on our highways.
“I would like to say that those who are involved in activities like those, the strong arm of the law is now right about to pounce on them because we will not allow South Africa to be lawless. We will not allow South Africa to have people who are running around on the rampage destroying the economic assets of our country. We will not allow those who intend to sabotage the economy of our country to have their way. We will go after them and they will face the full might of the law,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa added that people must have respect for the rule of law.
He said those who are burning trucks will be found and face the consequences.