SOUTH AFRICA: 4 MORE TRUCKS SET ALIGHT ON N2 IN MPUMALANGA

Wed 12 July 2023:

Four trucks have been set alight on the N2 between Ermelo and Piet Retief in Mpumalanga, SABC News reported.

It comes amid a recent spate of attacks on trucks. According to the police the trucks were set alight around 5am on Wednesday morning.

4 more trucks torched on N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo

The latest incident takes the total number of trucks set on fire in four days to 20.

On Monday, KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed that two trucks were set on fire while waiting in a line on the N2. pic.twitter.com/2nY9IZHtVQ

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) July 12, 2023

“Three trucks were seriously burnt while one only burnt in the cabin, according to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala.

“One passenger, a lady, sustained burn wounds on her feet as she was allegedly asleep in one of the trucks. She was taken for medical help by the EMS vehicle.”

The road has been closed and traffic is being diverted. Police have confirmed that a passenger has sustained burn wounds.

Provincial police spokesperson Selvy Mohlala says the passenger was asleep in one of the trucks when the incident happened.

Mohlala says armed men approached the trucks and instructed the drivers to vacate the vehicles before setting them alight.

N2
Piet Retief/ Ermelo
4 trucks on fire. N2 will be closed for most of today between Ermelo and Piet Retief. Alternative route is via Amsterdam.
*Road Angels Traffic Info* pic.twitter.com/PIV2ahKHhx

— Road Angels Traffic Information (@Road_Angels_SA) July 12, 2023

According to Mohlala, the latest incident followed a similar pattern to those recorded over the weekend, with armed men emerging from the bushes and instructing the drivers to exit their vehicles or risk being burned inside.

“No-one has been arrested so far and the police are continuing with investigations. The motive is unknown at the moment,” Mohlala said.

The latest incident takes the total number of trucks set on fire in four days to 20.

On Monday, KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed that two trucks were set on fire while waiting in a line on the N2.

Multiple trucks set alight on n3 corridor between Gauteng and KZN: Clean-up, recovery under way#VanReenenPass pic.twitter.com/KX7Q2C6pfA

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) July 9, 2023

SAPS to set up roadblocks

Police roadblocks will be set up along major transport routes countrywide to prevent any more truck attacks.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola made this announcement following the torching of three trucks on the country’s main roads in the last two days.

“The drivers are let go and the drivers is a mix of foreign truck drivers that drive locally owned trucks. And no, they didn’t get injured, they simply shoot and torch the trucks, but we don’t have injuries up to this stage.”

Masemola said intelligence was investigating how the incidents were related.

“We cannot say exactly what it is. It looks like a labour-related issue of foreign truck drivers but there [are] trucks which are driven by South African drivers which are being torched. There we cannot exactly say that it is the problem of foreign truck drivers or it’s another problem.”

Armed men forced six truck drivers to stop and set fire to their vehicles on South Africa's Van Reenens Pass in the KwaZulu-Natal province. pic.twitter.com/1YzKKZLoyQ

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) July 9, 2023

Call for the harsh punishment of perpetrators

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) has called on law enforcement to impose harsh penalties on those responsible for the recent truck attacks.

“We have had cases before where truck drivers were tortured and beaten up and robbed of their personal belongings by their perpetrators. We are also saying to them they need to prioritise South Africans in the road freight industry.”

She said police needed to be more active when protecting truck drivers.

“It can’t be that after so many years the motive behind this criminality is still unknown by government and the employer – that’s just unacceptable. The attack towards truck drivers is nothing new. More than anything, we’re worried about the safety of our members.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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