South Africa’s road haulage sector descended into chaos today despite undertakings by the All Truck Drivers Association (ATDF) that they would not resort to violence.
In Richards Bay control for access to the harbour had to be wrested back from the control of ATDF protesters and in the Eastern Cape a mountain pass was closed after a truck was set alight.
Elsewhere trucks from Mpumalanga to Kwa-Zulu Natal also went up in flames – and as reports filtered through of arrests, the attacks aimed at foreign nationals employed by transporters spilled over onto the CBD streets of Gauteng.
In Hillbrow footage showed a man lying in the street barely moving and bleeding to death according to bystanders after police apparently fired with live ammunition.
Jeppestown was also plunged into chaos and in Turffontein television cameras filmed people helping themselves to goods packed on pavements in the aftermath of a violent looting spree.
In the Pretoria the capital’s streets were turned into a cesspit of spilled litter. Two trucks were forced to stop and their drivers had to run for their lives as a xenophobic mob descended on them.
Police in several areas reacted by firing rubber bullets and resorted to more drastic action in what seemed like government finally deciding to fight fire with fire.
And as the country moved closer to the precipice of all-out civil unrest out of hatred for fellow Africans, FTWOnline received an audio recording of an ATDF representative saying “this is no joke!”
He warned that worse would happen if local transport companies kept employing foreign nationals.
“They must stop at the border. Don’t come here.”
Another recorded phone call, also involving an ATDF member who identified himself as Lungisa, said that mayhem would be unleashed on those road hauliers who did not comply with their demands that no foreign nationals be allowed to work in South Africa’s road transport sector.
In the meantime Carol Madigage of the Cross-border Road Transport Agency called for an “integrated stabilisation plan for the road freight agency”.
But representatives from the Road Freight Association (RFA) and Positive Freight Solutions pleaded that government bring an end to the chaos.
“It is time for this to stop,” RFA CEO Gavin Kelly said.
