More than 98 trucks have been stopped and 47 truck drivers interviewed as part of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s unstoppable #NenzaniLaEzweni Operation over the past week.
Transport MEC Siboniso Duma said that during the operation the department’s Road Traffic Inspectorate team had arrested an undocumented Zimbabwean truck driver for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Duma said a further five foreign nationals had been arrested for being in the country illegally and for producing fraudulent documents.
“A Zimbabwean national truck driver was charged for transporting tourists from England and other European countries without a permit,” he said.
He added that a bus travelling from Zimbabwe transporting foreign nationals had also been stopped and searched by the RTI, the SAPS Dog Unit and the Department of Home Affairs’ immigration unit.
“We are determined to clean our road networks as part of creating a safe and secure KwaZulu-Natal for the citizens,” Duma said.
“While we are encouraged that our operation is yielding positive results, we have uncovered exploitative practices, financial fraud, and human rights violations involving certain players in the logistics and freight industry.
“They are behaving with impunity and must be held accountable for turning our road networks into killing fields.”
Duma said that after interviewing 47 truck drivers and receiving tip-offs from the industry, officials had established that some truck drivers were working for trucking companies without written contracts.
“KZN truck drivers who insist on written employment contracts are displaced with foreign nationals,” he said.
“No payslips are provided to the truck drivers. There are unlawful deductions. Hours of work are long, in violation of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act,” Duma said.
He added that there was also no overtime payment, leave or rest days, and that drivers were not paid a basic salary but were paid per load delivered.
Duma said owners of trucking companies were giving cash to foreign truck drivers for bribes and using certain routes at night to avoid detection.
The department partnered with several organisations to improve road safety. These included the SAPS K9 Dog Unit and Highway Patrol, the Department of Home Affairs’ immigration unit, Umsunduzi Municipality Traffic, the Department of Labour and Employment, the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, the All Truck Drivers Forum Association of South Africa ATDF and the N3 Toll Concession.
“For us to stop the carnage involving trucks on our roads, I have mandated RTI to arrest the owners of certain trucking companies,” Duma said.
“Honest players in the logistics and freight industry must stand up and join hands with us in order to protect the sector from being destroyed by rogue elements.”
