MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda, welcomed the arrest of two suspects, who were caught carrying a rock on a N2 bridge near Queen Nandi Drive on Wednesday.
The arrests follow a spate of rock throwing incidents from overhead bridges on provincial and national routes and freeways which have recently claimed two lives.
“Last week two women driving in the same area (within the bridge on Queen Nandi) had a rock thrown at their car. Earlier in the day yesterday (Wednesday) a woman driving on the N3 towards the Durban city centre had a rock thrown at her Mini-Cooper,” said the department in a statement.
Police arrested two people on Wednesday who were spotted leaning over the Queen Nandi Drive-Inanda Road bridge north of Durban carrying a rock. The pair, aged 22 and 24, were charged with the possession of dangerous weapons.
Captain Nqobile Gwala said police were conducting crime prevention activities in the area when they spotted the suspects.
“When police pounced on them, they were found in possession of a knife, gloves and a rock,” said Gwala.
The suspects were arrested and taken to Greenwood Park police station for detention. They were to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court.
In December, siblings Amina and Abdur Raheem Haffejee were killed when a large boulder was thrown on to their car off a bridge on the north coast. The boulder landed on the passenger side of the car, crushing Amina, who was in the front seat, and Abdur Raheem, who was seated behind her. The driver, a relative, was not injured.
MEC Kaunda said that a special meeting between roads institutions and law enforcement agencies had been convened following earlier incidents to come up with urgent interventions.
The meeting had agreed that 24-hour patrols would be conducted on bridges located on major national roads, particularly on the N2 near eMvoti, where most of the incidents had occurred.
The Department of Transport, alongside other road institutions and the police, have also begun community engagements to encourage citizens to exercise vigilance and take the fight against this latest trend of criminal activity, and to monitor suspicious activities along freeways.