The United Truck Drivers’ Association (UTDA) has embarked on a five-day stay-away of drivers and workers in the logistics sector, calling for the South African government to urgently intervene to stop the violent attacks on foreign drivers in the country.
UTDA said in an exclusive statement to Freight News on Wednesday that the stay-away was not a formal strike as labelled by the media, but a stay-away to plead with the government to provide protection for foreign truck drivers and workers who were being targeted by civilians.
The association represents all drivers and other workers within the logistics and warehousing industry.
The stay-away, which appeared to have gone ahead peacefully according to the Road Freight Association (RFA), runs from January 31 until February 4.
“Our members have not blocked any roads whatsoever, not committed any acts of violence.
Step by step we are making our pleas heard by the responsible authorities through integration and, or peaceful means. All we are requesting is protection. Do you think we are asking for too much?”
UTDA said in an earlier open letter that circulated on WhatsApp that civilians were stopping trucks and demanding and destroying drivers’ documents such as licences and passports.
The union said that threatening voice notes had also been circulated on social media.
“Drivers are being beaten with sjamboks and verbally abused by locals in their local vernacular. Drivers are being burnt in their trucks and trucks are also burnt just for being a foreigner in South Africa. Threatening audios are being circulated and funds are being raised to attack foreign drivers,” UTDA said in the letter.
The organisation said that recent events in 2022 had shown that civilians were continuing to attack foreign drivers, assaulting them and confiscating their documents, regardless of them holding valid permits to work in the country.
“Foreign drivers were robbed at a mine and one was burned and is currently in intensive care in KZN (KwaZulu-Natal). This shows or marks the beginning of attacks on foreign driers by local groups. The association is seeking protection and relief of truck drivers from persecution by the general public and associations. We seek state intervention to arrest all acts of abuse of foreigners and foreign drivers until December 31, 2022.
“Please do intervene before the current crisis escalates as foreign drivers are being attacked as always done in the previous years. We hope our letter reaches your most favourable consideration (to) address our immediate concerns and protect our foreign truck drivers,” UTDA said.
RFA CEO Gavin Kelly said that the union’s organiser had advised that truck drivers would be staying home from work. He said the protest had not caused disruption in the sector.
“South Africa is used to violence and mayhem when people protest. This seems to be peaceful so far. No huge disruptions which also could point to how few foreign drivers are out there - or the fact that many foreign drivers have ignored the call to stay away,” Kelly said.
