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Truck torching: who is responsible?

10 Sep 2019 - by Eugene Goddard
The peace and tranquility of Moorreesburg in the Swartland was shattered in the early morning hours of today by incidents of truck torching on the N7.
The peace and tranquility of Moorreesburg in the Swartland was shattered in the early morning hours of today by incidents of truck torching on the N7. 
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If there was any doubt that truck burning in South Africa is part of a well-planned terror campaign, this morning’s incidents in the Swartland confirms past suggestions that such a campaign is being waged against the road haulage sector.

Three separate incidents occurred within a few hours of each other. In the first, a cement truck travelling on the N7 near Moorreesburg came under fire just after midnight.

Western Cape traffic chief Kenny Africa said two cars forced the truck off the road before petrol bombing it. The driver escaped unharmed.

Not long after, near the N7 turnoff to Porterville, another truck was petrol bombed, this time with near-fatal consequences for the driver.

The third incident happened at about 2am and involved a truck loaded with chicken near Piekenierskloof.

No further information was available at the time of posting this story, but it appears to be no coincidence that the attacks happened in such close proximity of each other on an otherwise quiet stretch of road linking Moorreesburg and Porterville, just over 50km apart from one another.

On more than one occasion in recent times, FTWOnline has had reason to believe that a small group of individuals are responsible for planning the attacks, but nothing gets done about it.

It has even been said that senior safety and security organisations have received sensitive information that could lead to the arrest of key figures responsible for violently destabilising road transport – but again, nothing gets done.

Whether or not the infamous All Truck Drivers Foundation is behind such seemingly well-planned attacks as this morning’s pre-dawn truck torching in the Swartland, remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the country waits for breakthrough arrests in the fight against vigilantes setting trucks alight.

The names of certain representatives and their organisations alluded to in this report have purposefully been withheld until we can confirm that our road transport sector is indeed the target of people threatening a supply chain sector which, many say, could threaten national security.

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