Truck burnings bring bad memories among local drivers
“I was traumatised and spent a month at home. I would be triggered each time I heard a siren.”
Residents were still uneasy when authorities continued to look into the recent torching of trucks in several provinces.
However, these criminal activities, as described by Minister of Police Bheki Cele, reopened old scars for residents who had previously faced attacks similar to those the truck drivers endured.
Germiston resident Tavaris Ndosimau Kamongo, a native of the DRC, was supported by Christophe Puati when he shared his experiences as a truck driver with Germiston City News.
He arrived in SA in 2009 and was employed as a truck driver for a company in Cape Town.
“In 2021, I was attacked by a furious mob who beat me and sent me to hospital for five days.”
Kamongo said the recent truck fires had revived old memories for him.
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“In 2022, I experienced another attack in Bellville. Someone threw a petrol bomb through my window. Despite wearing gloves, my hands burnt. I still have the scars,” said Kamongo.
“Paramedics and firefighters hurried to save me from the burning truck,” said Kamongo.
“I was traumatised and spent a month at home. I was triggered each time I heard a siren,” said Kamongo.
“I have four children that I have raised, and I am now an Uber driver.”
He admitted he would never accept a truck driver job again in SA because he was concerned about his safety in the field.
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“I have witnessed friends and associates die while driving trucks. People hijack us, shoot at us, and murder us. We also have families. If I had died, my children would not have a father,” said Kamongo.
He called for an end to the violence and tolerance toward foreigners.
“We are qualified to perform the things we do and have our legal documents,” said Kamongo.
His brother, Puati, fled the Congo searching for safety in neighbouring countries and found his way to SA in 2013.
“Before relocating to Germiston from Cape Town, I also experienced xenophobia.
“I spent a few days in the hospital. Police rescued my wife and children and took them to a friend’s house, where they were safe. Our house was torn apart,” said Puati.
Cele said in a statement during a media briefing in Pretoria on July 12 that the police had plans in place to address attacks on truck drivers.
“All the major routes have been secured, and regular patrols are done along identified high-risk routes.
“These actions take place on the second anniversary of the July 2021 looting, acts of arson and destruction in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng when 354 people lost their lives due to the mayhem.
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“As things stand, there is no evidence before us to suggest the recent attacks on trucks are related or linked to the July insurrection.” Police are investigating 107 cases in KZN related to the torching of trucks since 2018.
According to police stations in Germiston, there were no reports of trucks set on fire in their areas.
