By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
SA Police Service (SAPS) in Mpumalanga launched manhunt for a group of people who set five trucks alight in Waterval Boven (Emgweya) in Mpumalanga on Sunday evening.
“We are not sure what the motive was for setting alight those particular trucks. But [people in] two vehicles stopped the trucks before the Waterval Boven tunnel and set them alight,” police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said.
They instructed the drivers to hand over their IDs and get out of the trucks before they set the vehicles alight.
“We are continuing with our investigation. No arrests have been made, and we advise motorists to use the Schoemanskloof road,” he added.
The incident comes after armed assailants set alight six trucks at Van Reenen’s Pass in KwaZulu-Natal late on Saturday night.
Gugu Sokhela, a spokesperson from the All Truck Drivers Forum, said that if it is their members who conducted the crime, they would be brought forward to relevant law enforcement agencies.
Sokhela said, however, that one must understand the frustration experienced by truck drivers: “Some have not been working for many years, yet someone who is coming out of the country is enjoying being employed.”
Gavin Kelly, the CEO of the Road Freight Association (RFA), said that instances such as these have major negative impacts on the country’s economy.
He said that trucks carry roughly 80% of the goods in and around South Africa, as well as goods from international trade partners.
Kelly said that the long-term effects of such incidents would bring greater destruction to employment levels and will result in job losses as businesses and supporting sectors shrink and trade moves away from the country.
“Without trucks, South Africa stops… the scene that played out on the N3 at Van Reenen’s Pass in the early hours of 09 July 2023 was a ruthless attack on the road freight supply chain – and the effects (economic, business confidence, security, law and order and corridor movement) are far-reaching,” Kelly said.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the ANC’s National Committee Meeting, President Cyril Ramaphsa condemned the attacks.
“I am concerned about these activities that have a negative impact on our economy, it is almost like economic sabotage, because burning trucks on a main artery is concerning, intelligence agencies are going to be giving him a report on it,” he said.
Ramaphosa says he has assigned a team to investigate the truck attacks in KwaZulu-Natal.
“It is not acceptable that trucks and facilities that are enhancing our economy are attacked. They should never be attacked.”
Police minister Bheki Cele condemned the torching of trucks.
Cele said more damage would have been done had it not been for fast intervention by security patrols who fended off the attackers.
“We understand part of it is about internal conflict within an organisation called the ACD [driver group] where you have some who are more moderate at odds with others who are radicals,” he said.