Protesters torch trucks in Ladysmith
Drivers run for their lives as disgruntled Ladysmith residents attack
TRUCK drivers spoke about their dramatic escape from disgruntled protesters who set alight five trucks yesterday morning outside Ladysmith as the community shutdown intensified.
One of the drivers, Musa Khumalo, said he was travelling with his assistant from Dundee to Port Shepstone when they saw protesters blocking the road with rocks and trees.
Khumalo said that fearing for their lives, they decided not to stop after the armed protesters pelted the truck with stones. He said that while they were fleeing, they realised that the road ahead had been blocked with two trucks.
“We had to stop the truck and quickly jump out. There were just too many of them, and it was dark. As we ran towards the bush they chased us, while others began looting the truck. Eventually we managed to hide in the bush,” said Khumalo.
He said they stayed in the bush until 2am when the police came to their rescue and took them to the Colenso police station.
“At that time, the trucks were not yet burnt. The police could not do anything as there were just too many protesters. I will never forget this day in my life. I nearly died, and at least this happened at night where we managed to hide. If it had happened in broad daylight, they were going to burn us with the truck,” he said.
Another truck driver, Joseph Chihwai, who was travelling from Durban to Limpopo, said the only thing he managed to salvage from the truck was his phone.
“When I got here the trucks were being stopped. I had no choice but to run because the protesters were already throwing stones at me. I fired warning shots and they stopped chasing me. I could not even go back and take my things.
“I have never been so afraid. My life was on the line,” he said.
The violence came after protests which shut down the northern KwaZulu-Natal town. The shutdown has led to the closure of several schools and businesses.
The community is demanding the immediate removal of Alfred Duma Municipality mayor, Vincent Madlala. He is accused of corruption, crippling service delivery within the municipality and being involved in ongoing taxi violence. Premier Sihle Zikalala, together with MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Bheki Ntuli; MEC for Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube; and MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sipho Hlomuka, met with mayors under uThukela District Municipality, Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce and Madlala at the Ladysmith Town hall yesterday. The meeting collapsed after community leaders staged a walkout. The protest is expected to continue.
Zikalala said that after engaging with the concerned community group, they had decided to launch a full investigation into allegations of corruption, nepotism and disruption of water services.
He said all the allegations levelled against Madlala and his alleged involvement in the taxi industry violence would be probed by the provincial government and the police.
Zikalala said they would also deal with the criminal elements responsible for the violence in the town, looting, burning of trucks and intimidation of residents.
“There is no reason to complain about corruption while you commit criminal acts. Who becomes mayor is an issue of political parties. What they wanted was for us to remove the mayor, and that is an issue we can’t look at as the government, that is political. If organisations want to put their own mayor, they must put forward a vote of no confidence for the current mayor and follow the procedures,” said Zikalala.
Dube-Ncube said that after meeting with businesses in the municipality, they estimated the loss of revenue to be about R10 million a day.
“The shutdown is very concerning because the municipality is strategically located as a corridor in the province, as it links the province to other provinces. It’s a sad situation and we’ve been trying to engage with business since last year,” she said.
Ubumbano Lokuthula’s Andile Hlatshwayo distanced the organisation from the violence, saying the community was not accepting anything besides the removal of Madlala.
“We only want one thing, the province to act on Madlala and remove him. We are confident that once they have done that, communities will be calm and everything will go back to normal.
“The community is looking to continue with the shutdown until their grievances are met,” said Hlatshwayo.