Freight News understands that a man suspected of arson attacks on trucks in South Africa’s logistics sector over the last few days has been arrested in Mpumalanga.
That’s according to a transport group in the province.
The man was apparently arrested between Piet Retief and Wakkerstroom, close to southern Mpumalanga’s border with northern Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo was one of the hotspots for truck torching that has sown panic in the country’s domestic supply chain sector.
Of the 21 trucks that had been burned since arsonists started torching trucks on Van Reenen’s Pass last Sunday, four had been set alight in the vicinity of Sheepmoor on the N2 between Ermelo and Piet Retief.
It is unclear if the arrested suspect is the hooded man whose image was widely distributed via social media yesterday.
A clear screen grab of his goateed face was taken from a telematics dashboard video camera recording, showing how he forces a truck driver from his cab.
The intruder proceeds to steer the truck from the scene before taking flammable liquid from a plastic bag, squirting it over the cabin’s seating, setting it alight and fleeing from the fast-spreading fireball.
The footage has been verified as legitimate by a source working in the telematics industry.
Similar dashcam footage has since been circulated, also showing a hooded intruder gaining access to a truck.
A translator said the shouting that can be heard in the video is about drivers being forced to leave their trucks.
In one of the videos the driver is told: “Get out, get out!” to which he replies: “I’m not resisting.”
Since arsonists struck last weekend, no truck driver has been harmed from what is known.
During a recent visit to South Africa’s Lebombo border into Mozambique on the N4 “Maputo Corridor”, where truck drivers often wait for 48 hours or more before managing to get through the heavily congested crossing, a driver explained how they fear for their lives at night.
He said assailants often wear reflective vests to impersonate security personnel.
The driver said once a window is wound down or a door opened, it’s too late.
It’s not sure whether this has been the modus operandi of arsonists involved in the last few days’ truck torching.
In several incidents vehicles were seen interfering with trucks on the move, forcing them to stop on inclines before gaining access to cabs by intimidating drivers.
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