President slams truck killings

Ramaphosa urged to intervene to prevent more attacks on drivers in Gauteng and Kwazulu- Natal

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his outrage at the killing of freight truck drivers and now wants those responsible arrested, prosecuted and then jailed.

Ramaphosa’s anger came as these attacks have been on the increase since last week in various parts of Gauteng and Kwazulu- Natal.

Ramaphosa’s outburst also came after the Road Freight Association called for his urgent intervention to prevent more attacks on the trucks.

The association’s chief executive officer, Gavin Kelly, said that the attacks were a threat to South Africa’s economic recovery post- Covid- 19. Kelly said that the attacks appeared to be directed at foreigners.

Police have confirmed that a KwaZulu- Natal truck driver was murdered in Gauteng this week.

They are now searching for the killers of the 45- year- old man from Pinetown, who was shot and partially burnt.

His body was found in a field in Alberton not far from where the truck he was driving was set alight.

Ramaphosa commended the police work that has led to arrests in Gauteng in the past 24 hours.

“As South Africans, we cannot possibly tolerate the mindless and bloody lawlessness with which the road freight industry is being targeted,” said Ramaphosa. “We cannot tolerate this loss of life and destruction of property.”

He has asked Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi and his counterparts at Home Affairs and Transport to submit a report to him on this issue.

The DA also entered the fray with strong condemnation and made a call to police to investigate and carry out arrests.

DA spokesperson on transport Chris Hunsinger said: “What these attackers seem to forget is that the destruction of these trucks has a wide economic impact – far wider than the financial damage to the trucking company and the driver.

“Truckers are the lifeblood of the South African economy. With the rails in such disrepair, many South African businesses rely on trucks to deliver goods and produce and would not survive without this vital service.

“Without truck drivers, our economy would be in even deeper trouble,” Hunsinger said.

He said while the DA commends Ramaphosa’s reaction to the attacks, the ship has sailed on his request for a report regarding this matter from Nxesi, Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula, Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Minister of Police Bheki Cele.

“Attacks on trucks and truck drivers have been steadily increasing for the past four years. The time for reports has gone.

“Now is the time for decisive action to be taken against what can surely be regarded as economic terrorism.

“There need to be high- level investigations and urgent arrests so that those responsible are held to account,” Hunsinger said.