Torching of trucks ‘an attempt to sabotage economy to get attention from govt’

The recent torching of trucks in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal is possibly linked to the frustrations of South African truck drivers, who feel the government is not doing enough to prevent the employment of foreign nationals.

Independent economist Prof Bonke Dumisa said if government continued allowing the “nonsense” of torching trucks, then South Africa would continue losing hundreds of millions of rands. Dumisa said the government should act decisively now, unlike what they did during the July 2021 riots.

‘N3 route the lifeblood of SA’

“The South African economy loses at least R100 million every time this happens. The N3 route from Durban is the lifeblood of South Africa and that’s why they focus on that area,” he said.

On Sunday, six trucks were torched on the N3 toll route in the vicinity of Van Reenen Pass while a few hours later, five were torched under similar circumstances on the N4 highway in Mpumalanga.

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Unemployed South African drivers have been constantly raising concerns that foreign nationals have been prioritised over them, resulting in them being sidelined. They have accused foreign nationals of allowing truck owners to exploit them and accepting lower wages.

President of the Truckers Association of South African, Mary Phadi, who also sits in the Road Freight Logistic Task Team, said this could be an attempt to sabotage the economy to get attention from the government.

Outcry of truck drivers

Last year, as part of the solution to deal with the torching of trucks, various ministers, which included then transport minister Fikile Mbalula, Police Minister Bheki Cele, Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi, formed a task team to deal with the outcry of truck drivers.

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Cele has claimed “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”, according to Timeslive.

Phadi said since the launch of the task team last year, nothing had been done.

“There has been no solution to this issue, even last month there was a shutdown of the truck drivers,” she said.

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She said it could only be speculation on who exactly was behind the torching of the trucks, but knowing from past experience, this could be because of the issues raised by South African truck drivers.

“We do not yet have information of who is behind this, the police are still investigating but as operators, this has to do with the issues that were raised five years ago but, as yet, no-one has claimed responsibility,” she said.

‘Nothing done to fix situation’

All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa secretary-general Sifiso Nyathi said they have been raising the issues faced by truck drivers for six years. However, nothing has been done to fix the situation.

Nyathi said the recent torching of trucks in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga might be because of frustrated truck drivers, who the government has failed to listen to.

“We do not know who has been burning the trucks. We have been engaging the government and ministers but nothing is being done. Although I might not know why the trucks were being burnt, but I think the reasons behind is because of the government not listening,” he said.

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“The government is not listening to citizens and they seem to be united with the employers.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa has since condemned the torching incidents, describing them as economic sabotage.

“It is not acceptable that trucks are attacked,” said Ramaphosa on Sunday.

– lungam@citizen.co.za