THE theft of copper cables from trucks transporting refrigerated containers has been identified as the major cause of truck accidents on the M4 toward Solomon Mahlangu (Edwin Swales).
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Brazen copper thieves strike at the traffic lights on the M4 in Clairwood while truck drivers wait at the red light.
A driver of a semi-horse trailer transporting a shipping container to the Durban Port was attacked by four unknown men. The suspects cut a reefer cable from a truck while the driver was waiting at the robots on the M4.
The suspects also cut the accelerator cable and air-piping system, resulting in the truck losing control and crashing into another truck.
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The 20m cable connects the refrigerated container to the truck’s reefer plugs, keeping the perishable goods cold.
The owner of the truck, Collin Naicker, said that prior to the recent incident, his employees had fallen victim to thugs who cut cables from the trucks while drivers were waiting at the traffic lights.
“Four thugs jumped onto the truck and started cutting the cable. They damaged the truck wiring system. When the driver jumped out to investigate what was happening, the four men threatened him. The truck couldn’t move as the piping system was damaged. They target the trucks transporting refrigerated containers which have a reefer cable,” said Naicker.
Naicker said that last week, a truck carrying a refrigerated container crashed into another truck – at the robots on Edwin Swales off-ramp to Rossburgh – after the cables were cut while the driver was waiting at the red light.
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“When we do not deliver the consignment to the Durban Port on time, we are penalised by our clients. Last week, we were unable to deliver on time as the truck couldn’t move. We had to call for a mechanic to come fix the damaged wiring system.
“We are losing a big chunk of revenue as these incidents continue to have a negative impact on the business. We are calling on the police and metro to increase patrols on the M4, South Coast Road and Edwin Swales.
“Prior to last week’s incident, my drivers fell victim to this crime five months ago. We have to replace the damaged reefer cable. It costs about R6 000,” Naicker added.
Chairperson of the Montclair Community Police Forum, Rave Naidoo, said that numerous complaints have been received previously concerning the theft of copper cables from the trucks.
“This seems to be happening frequently on South Coast Road and Edwin Swales where thugs steal the reefer and braking cables of the trucks. This has become detrimental to people’s lives as there have been numerous accidents on these roads due to theft of cables from the trucks,” said Naidoo.
At the time of publication, no comment had been received from the Montclair police station. However, new information will be added once it is received from the police.
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