Sources say that the All Truck Drivers’ Foundation (ATDF) is threatening to embark on additional demonstrations from today, 9 July, until their dissatisfaction with the employment of foreign national truck drivers in South Africa is addressed.
This comes after talks between the Department of Transport and the organisation, which is suspected of fomenting xenophobic violence against transporters in South Africa, allegedly came to nought.
According to a message received by the Road Freight Industry (RFA) following yesterday’s talks, the meeting between truck drivers, including members of the ATDF, and the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, concluded without an agreement or resolution having been reached.
Amidst the ATDF’s apparent threats to destabilise road freight across the country lest their grievances about foreign nationals working in the local road freight sector be addressed, labour minister Thulas Nxesi said there was nothing his office could do about non-South African citizens working here.
The RFA said that according to information they had received, the minister had claimed that the government was not in a position to ban the hiring of foreign national truck drivers due to several agreements with neighbouring countries.
Nxesi’s statement is said to have resulted in calls for his resignation.
The RFA message passed on to Freight News goes on to state that, “based on the aforementioned, there is an increased risk of sporadic and violent incidents of unrest targeted against truck drivers taking place nationwide from today.
“Applicable risks in the event of unrest include barricading of roads, malicious damage to property, intimidation, arson – setting trucks alight and throwing petrol bombs – hijacking of trucks and looting.”
And while the country is still absorbing shocking visuals and reports that filtered through from late last night about trucks being torched and shot at on the R59 between Alberton and Vereeniging, City Deep in Johannesburg, and near a mall in Rustenburg, transporters have been advised to act with extreme caution, especially at night, since that’s when most of the recent attacks have occurred.
In a more detailed breakdown of violence involving attacks on trucks, transporters are advised that unrest recently materialised along the following roads and areas, which are therefore deemed as high-risk for unrest:
- N1 outbound at Joostenberg Vlakte (Kraaifontein, Cape Town, Western Cape), N7 between Dunoon (Cape Town) and Citrusdal.
- Chris Hani Road/R102/M25 in KwaMashu (KwaZulu-Natal), M4 at the N2 split in Reunion (Umlazi).
- Mpumalanga: along R545 between Kriel and Ogies, along the N12 between Emalahleni and Delmas, and the N4 between Matsulu and Komatipoort, Ermelo along the N2 and N11 and Mkhondo along the N2.
- KwaZulu-Natal: along N3 between Howick and Mooi River, Prospecton along Jeffels Road, in Bayhead (Durban), Sea View along Solomon Mahlangu Drive/M7, and along the N11 near Dannhauser, in Eastwood (Pietermaritzburg), Greyville (Berea), Maydon Wharf and Rossburgh (Durban).
- Gauteng: in the vicinity of City Deep Truckstop (corner of Vickers Road/M19 and Francois Oberholzer Freeway/M2, Doornfontein 92-Ir, Johannesburg South), N3 near Vosloorus, Sybrand van Niekerk Freeway/R59 in Alberante (Alberton), Alrode, along Vereeniging Road/M61, and Heidelberg Road/R554 in Roodekop 139-Ir (Germiston).
- Eastern Cape: Swartkops (Port Elizabeth) along Grahamstown Road/R102 and Trunk Road/R367/M19 in Perseverance (near Despatch); as well as Western Cape (N1 between Kraaifontein (Cape Town), Stikland Industrial, Duinefontein Road/Weltevreden Road/M10 in Manenberg (Cape Town), Worcester and along the N7 between Dunoon (Cape Town) and Philadelphia, as well as along the N2 in Somerset West Business Park (Somerset West).
- North Wes: R24 in Waterval East (Rustenburg); and Gauteng, Wadeville in Germiston.
“Truck/diesel and container depots as well as truck stops and industrial areas should be regarded as high-risk locations/areas for unrest and additional security measures are advisable, with an increased risk between 20:00 and 07:00,” according to information received from the RFA.
