Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Tow truck war threats drag in top company
Meeting at Santam is called off
FRESH death threats which have surfaced in a tow truck war in Cape Town involving industry representatives and a major insurance company.
Members of the United Towing Association of SA said they were warned a week ago if they went ahead with a planned meeting with Santam representatives, they would be killed.
Santam this week denied any threats were made, but this newspaper is in possession of an email from a Santam manager in which he appears to refer to the threats and “potential confrontations”.
Members of the towing association also insist they were threatened. They said they believed other companies wanting to arrange similar meetings with insurance companies could get the same treatment.
A week before the alleged threats involving the Santam meeting were made, a driver was stabbed when members of rival towing companies got into a scuffle at an accident scene in Parow.
Several truckers said bigger towing companies were trying to edge out smaller companies through intimidation and violence.
And the bigger companies were said to be in competition to be signed up as companies of choice by insurance companies. This was fuelling the conflict.
This week United Towing Association chairman Ettienne Pel said there had been threats stemming from the Santam matter.
He detailed the incident on the association’s Facebook page, saying he and five other members were to have met Santam representatives at an office of the insurance company last Friday.
“En route to Santam from Cape Town International Airport, we received a call from Santam to please hold back as there was a group of tow truck operators, acting under the banners of Cape Road Assist and Western Cape Towers Association, who are threatening that Ettienne Pel will be killed if I enter Santam building.”
He said they had not gone to the building out of concern for Santam staff.
“We told Santam we won’t back down, but did respect the request as they are a public company and have the interests of staff as a priority.”
This week Santam spokesman Donald Kau confirmed that a group of drivers had asked to meet some of its representatives last Friday. But he said Santam was unaware of any threats made, and that no Santam staff had been threatened.
But Pel emailed Santam about the threats and a response from an executive head of claims and group sourcing said he had been asked to deal with the matter by Santam’s chief executive.
“The events last week were indeed very unfortunate and we had to ensure the safety of our staff, business partners and other stakeholders. In line with good risk management practices, we choose to avoid any potential confrontations and I believe that was the right call,” the email said.
“Please accept our apology that the meeting last week with (the United Towing Association) could not take place and we will schedule another meeting urgently.”
Although Weekend Argus asked Kau about the email yesterday, he had not responded at publishing time.
The alleged threats involving the Santam meeting led to other allegations being made in comments on the towing association’s Facebook page, with one member going so far as to name someone they believed had murdered driver Linley Summers, 45.
Summers was stabbed in June 2013 after going to an accident scene in Maitland.
Last week no drivers were willing to go on record about violence in the industry, saying they feared for their safety.
But this week tow truck company owner Delton Dirks, who owns two trucks and employs four people and operates in the Athlone area, claimed members of bigger companies prevented them from operating elsewhere.
“I advise my drivers not to work at night because (mem- bers of rival companies) pull up at scenes in bakkies filled with thugs armed with pangas and guns,” he said.
One of his drivers, Dorian Naidoo, said he was sick of the violence, but he would not back down and let bigger companies take over.
“We’re not going down without a fight. Somebody’s got to take a stand. We’re waiting for them to come here. If we must fight and get hurt, then so be it.”
caryn.dolley@inl.co.za