Investigations are under way to establish the motive behind the destruction of trucks and vehicles on the N3 highway over the weekend.
KwaZulu Natal acting provincial police commissioner major-general Bheki Langa, said 54 people had been arrested following the incident at around 19h30 on Sunday evening when a group of people began throwing objects on the N3 freeway and set some trucks alight.
“A total of 35 trucks were damaged including those 20 that were set alight,” he said. By Monday morning the situation was calm, although traffic was still being diverted.
“At this point we do not know the reason for the attack with any certainty,” Sue Moodley, chairman of the Durban Harbour Carriers’ Association, told FTW Online.
“There have been reports that this was the result of a protest regarding the employment of foreign truck drivers. However, at this stage, we do not know the nationalities of the drivers of the vehicles that were damaged. We also do not know who the culprits were. Therefore, we cannot draw any conclusions. This is being treated as a criminal act at this point.”
No single haulier or market of trucks was targeted – the affected vehicles were a mix of side tippers, car carriers and container trucks.
This was the second incident on the N3 near the Mooi River Toll Plaza in April, and follows protest action on April 2 by community members who forced retail delivery trucks to block the roads before having their trucks set ablaze.
It is unclear whether the two incidents were linked, although some local media reports speculated that the second protest was driven by truck drivers seeking improved working conditions.
Research and writing by Savannah Freemantle and Adele Mackenzie
