DA calls for KZN transport MEC to ‘step up’ on truck violence

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has called on the province’s MEC for transport and community safety, Mxolisi Kaunda, to “step up” on truck violence in the province or “step out” of office.

The DA’s KZN MPL Sharon Hoosen said the party had written to Kaunda seeking answers on claims that law enforcement officers were not out in full force during the recent attacks on truck drivers in the province.

Three trucks were set alight on Monday on the N2 near the Umgeni Interchange, in Pietermaritzburg, and on the N3 highway Mooi River Toll Plaza.

These attacks are widely believed to be related to the high number of foreigners being employed as opposed to local unemployed drivers, which the local trucking industry has been raising for a number of months.

Several ministers, owner representatives, and labour leaders met in Durban on Monday to address the escalation in attacks on trucks and drivers in the province.

These included KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, Police Minister Bheki Cele, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi, and national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole.

Hoosen said the DA wrote to Kaunda after reports surfaced that law enforcement officers were not allowed to work more than 520 hours of overtime per annum. This is despite a decision taken last year to exempt KZN traffic officers from the 30% overtime limit.

“Clearly someone is not implementing decisions taken at a higher level of government, thereby placing the lives of roads users at risk. The result of this bureaucratic bungle is KZN’s road users were left at the mercy of criminals this past weekend. This in spite of a warning from crime intelligence that trouble was looming,” Hoosen said.

The DA expects answers from Kaunda and the party wants heads to roll, Hoosen said.

“He must also either step up or step out. Accidents and criminal activity on the roads don’t have a curfew and it is unforgivable that he and his department should have been so unprepared.

“Equally shocking is the response from KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala who this week hid behind the formation of yet another task team set up to address the problem. That the people of KZN should now have to wait for an outcome from this ‘talk shop’ is not good enough,” Hoosen said.

Hoosen added that “the criminal activity witnessed this past weekend is not new and it should have been resolved months ago”.

“At the heart of the problem is a lack of visible policing 24 hours a day, the high rate of employment of foreign nationals without permits and poor monitoring by SAPS of those drivers with work permits.

“These are standard operating procedures of monitoring and it should be a given. These are also the solutions which already exist and it should not be necessary to form a task team to discuss it.

“The DA expects the premier and his transport MEC to take ownership for the current violence on our roads. We will continue to follow this matter closely to ensure that the DoT is held to account and that it provides a service as per its mandate.”

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.