An eerie calm settled on South Africa’s roads this morning as no incidents were reported of truck burning or any other kind of intimidation to protest against foreign national truck drivers working in South Africa’s road freight sector.
Over the weekend though varying reports were received about action planned by the All Truck Drivers’ Foundation (ATDF), the organisation accused of fomenting much of the violent resistance.
In one of the reports received by the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), a transporter said there had been talks of instigation from late Saturday evening.
Elsewhere there was a report received that one truck had been fired upon by another.
Despite inconclusive evidence that the ATDF or any other like-minded organisation is intent on disrupting road hauliers and proceeding with protest action, Fesarta has requested transporters to remain vigilant.
Last week Sifiso Nyathi, national secretary of the ATDF, denied that the organisation was involved in the violence that sporadically flared up on main roads across South Africa.
He claims that the ATDF merely acts as an organisation representing local drivers disgruntled by job opportunities allegedly lost to transport employers unscrupulously contravening labour and immigration laws.
“We are not responsible for the actions of people who agree with what we stand for. We have been exploited for long enough. The government simply won’t listen to our complaints.”
Nyathi’s sentiments were later echoed by the threats a transporter heard when he was told: “The government won’t listen. Now they have to feel.”
Fesarta said despite the ATDF’s denial about being behind last week’s violence, “it’s them.
“They can’t control their members. If they don’t get what they want they won’t stop.”
In the meantime transport companies and their drivers are advised to work with extreme care on the country’s roads.