Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
11 July 2023 | 20:49 CAT

Image: News24

Sixteen trucks were torched over the weekend in two separate incidents in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed concern about truck attacks and their impact on the economy and expected an intelligence report. Police said that in KZN, a gang of armed men forced six truck drivers to stop and set the trucks alight. Five trucks were torched in Waterval Boven in Mpumalanga in the second incident.

The Trucker’s Association has called on truckers to find other ways of raising their grievances rather than torching trucks.

Truckers Association of South Africa President Mary Phadi says, “When we look back five years ago, this is how the grievances were presented to South Africa- from the truck drivers that raised their concerns. So, it could be how they will then again start to raise their grievances.”

“We’re not part of the people that had raised concern about the foreign truck drivers. We don’t believe that there should be violence in this country- and we’ve been very vocal about making sure that the government is assisting us,” she adds.

Two more long haul trucks were torched in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday night, according to police and the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI).

KZN senior police spokesperson, Jay Naicker, said on Tuesday morning that SAPS members had been permanently deployed along the affected routes to repel attacks. He would not confirm if the attacks were related to those over the weekend.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Moulana Ahmed Waja.