The N3 was blocked this week at Van Reenen Pass near Windy Corner by disgruntled truck drivers. Picture: Twitter/ @SAPoliceService
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says an interministerial task team, established to deal with protests by disgruntled truck drivers, is on the verge of signing off an agreement on proposed interventions in the trucking industry.
Mbalula on Friday briefed the media in Pretoria, after truck drivers this week blocked the N3 highway at Van Reenen’s Pass and Tugela Plaza, over the employment of foreign nationals and the fuel hike.
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Both lanes were since reopened on Thursday while four men got arrested on charges of obstructing a national route, damaging or interfering with essential infrastructure, and economic sabotage.
Mbalula said the task team, chaired by Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi, held several meetings with truck drivers on their grievances.
He said their last meeting was on Tuesday, where an agreement was reached on an action plan for the trucking industry.
“Following this latest meeting, the task team is now at a point where an agreement has been reached with all role-players including – among others – truck drivers represented by the All Truck Drivers Foundation (ATDF), truck owners represented by Truckers Association of South Africa (TASA), the Road Freight Association (RFA) and organised labour represented by the Motor Transport Wokers Union (MTWU).”
Fikile Mbalula
He said all stakeholders presented in the task team were now expected to sign off the action plan by no later than Tuesday.
According to Mbalula, some of the issues that would form part of the plan included the enforcement of visas and work permits, as well as foreign driving licences.
“It will serve as a blueprint that guides everybody on which issues to focus on and within which timelines these matters must be attended to,” he said.
Mbalula said it was unfortunate that differences among some stakeholders led to this week’s blockage of the N3 highway.
“Because of the diverse nature of interests, which is informed by each member’s mandate, it has not been an easy journey for members to develop this implementation plan and agree on key priority issues to be placed in the plan.”
“While we were talking with everybody, the strike and the blockages started, which to us does not give negotiations space,” he said.
Mbalula added that the blockades on the N3 were not justified and amounted to anarchy. He said government considered such acts as economic sabotage.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the blockages of the roads and that is why we have taken it upon ourselves to engage with the truck industry all around and not talk to one section in this regard.”
He further assured South Africans that government was not “sleeping on the job” in terms of dealing with the complaints in the trucking industry.
“We’ve not been sleeping on the job in terms of dealing with the matters. I get surprised when people think these are issues that easy…
“Should anybody not abide with the resolutions and the decisions we have agreed upon, then they will be a justifiable act for anyone who blocks the road to be dealt with,” Mbalula said.
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