Mpumalanga MEC slams torching of trucks

The MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Vusi Shongwe, said the torching of trucks in the province is a growing tendency.

This after five trucks were set on fire on the N4 in Emgwenya, just before the NZASM Tunnel, on July 3.

“The suspects had no right to torch the trucks and infringe the community’s rights to use the N4 freely. Such behaviour is condemned. It is also evident during some community protests around the province,” said Shongwe. “Trucks have been used to blockade roads and some torched during protests on the R40 in Bushbuckridge, and the N2 between Ermelo and eMkhondo. Such barbaric behaviour is unacceptable and we hope the police will find those suspects.”

According to police reports, the trucks were set alight in the early hours on Monday. A provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, said five unknown suspects in two vehicles, a Toyota Hilux and a sedan, had stopped the trucks on the road. “They instructed the drivers to get out of their vehicles with their IDs and proceeded to set the trucks alight.”

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Mohlala said the motive for the incident was unknown and no arrests have been made. He said they were investigating the incident. He said due to the incident, the N4 was closed and motorists had to use the Schoemanskloof road. This was because of the recovery process in which they had to remove the debris and make sure that the road was safe to use.

Shongwe said their message for truck drivers is that they should remain vigilant at all times. “They need to be on the lookout. If they see anything suspicious, they must alert one another. As soon as they see something or someone suspicious, they must report it to the police.”

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This message also comes after the provincial government concluded a summit aimed at developing an action programme to deal with crime in the province. The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, said, “We are a nation with laws, and we cannot allow our country to be subjected to this kind of criminal behaviour. An example should be made out of the people behind this act. Besides the great financial loss in terms of the damages, other road users were inconvenienced as the road was closed for hours.”

At the time of publishing, the exact damage suffered had not determined and the motive behind the incident was unknown.