[imagesource: @RiotAndAttackSA/ Twitter]

In October, a truck driver travelling along a seemingly deserted stretch of road in the KwaZulu-Natal region had to duck for cover when bullets were fired, hitting the side of his truck, with one piercing the window, narrowly missing his head.

The incident was indicative of how dangerous the job can be, and that’s before you take into account the long hours and very little sleep, topped with the responsibility of moving cargo from one point to the next without incident.

In the last week, attacks on trucks and truck drivers have escalated, becoming increasingly more frequent, violent, and deadly.

TimesLIVE reports that more than 30 trucks were torched in a series of arson attacks in the Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and near Johannesburg, over the course of just a few days.

Now, after members of the All Truck Drivers Foundation (ATDF) and the National Truck Drivers Federation (NTDF) marched in Durban against the hiring of foreigners as truck drivers, Road Freight Association (RAF) CEO Gavin Kelly has penned a letter to President Ramaphosa, asking him to intervene:

“Again, the road freight companies (truckers) find themselves being attacked by forces under the pretext of foreign nationals ‘taking jobs away from citizens’. This results in damaged and totally destroyed lives, companies, employment opportunities, economic activity, goods, vehicles, facilities, roads and foreign investment to move goods through SA into Africa.”

On Monday, members of the ATDF also joined forces with the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans (MKMVA) to march on Durban’s CBD demanding the removal of foreign nationals operating in the area.

Inaction from government, says Kelly, is creating the wrong impression.

“This is not what we all envisaged as economic recovery. We are concerned that the lack of action from government creates the impression that it is complacent regarding this type of protest action — given the fact that the minister of police has done nothing of substantive value to prevent and stop this type of activity.”

Police are now investigating a case of murder, attempted murder, and malicious damage to property after another truck was set alight in Leondale, east of Joburg on Monday evening.

Police spokesperson Kay Makhubele, via The Citizen, says that police responded to a call near the N3 onramp towards Heidelberg where they found a truck and trailer on fire.

A man was found bleeding next to the truck from a bullet wound. Another man was found dead in the veld with a gunshot wound and burns to his upper body.

On the same night, on Black Reef Road in Roodekop, a driver climbed out of his truck and ran when he noticed three men in balaclavas appear from a Hyundai i20. They started firing shots at his vehicle. When he returned to the scene later, his truck was on fire.

In Vosloorus, a driver travelling from Springs, Ekurhuleni, was hijacked. His truck was then set alight. He managed to escape with no injuries.

SA Long Distance Truckers says that another truck driver was shot before being burnt in his truck.

The aftermath of some of these horrifying attacks was caught on camera and posted on Twitter:

22:27 Heidelberg road Germiston 👆🏻 @LawOrder_za @cci_network @traffic_2020 @DerLydia pic.twitter.com/YlvHj4VDw4

— SA emergency reports (@MARIUSBROODRYK) November 23, 2020

Truck set on fire: Wadeville JHB. Driver was apparently shot and reports say he has died. pic.twitter.com/MK4oyGRyFz

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) November 23, 2020

#TruckStrike Two unknown cars tried to force truck to stop at DE doorns, Western Cape. Trucks windscreen was hit with something, but driver managed to get away. Truckers be safe.. @BOSBEER2006 @1SecondLater @MARIUSBROODRYK @SALTruckers @SAPoliceService @News24 pic.twitter.com/OWHEi8ntij

— BOSBEER.COM (@BOSBEER2006) November 23, 2020

#TruckDriversShutdown
Two trucks torched in Bethal around 01h00 pic.twitter.com/UaUlcEpSRq

— SA Trucker (@rsa_trucker) November 24, 2020

This was posted today:

Two trucks burning on the N3 freeway at Camperdown @GovernmentZA @SAPoliceService @MbalulaFikile @Dotransport @Abramjee @FleetWatchCC #TruckDriversShutdown pic.twitter.com/Sue17RDNts

— SA Trucker (@rsa_trucker) November 24, 2020

Returning to TimesLIVE, various stakeholders have met with government on a number of occasions to find a solution, but government agencies have failed to hold up their end of the deal by failing to implement measures effectively to address the problem.

“This is sabotage, this is outright war on the SA economy and its citizens. We need to stop this now and arrest and hold those perpetrating these attacks accountable for their deeds”, says Kelly

Xenophobia and xenophobic attacks have been on the rise in South Africa over the past few years, with little done to manage the problem.

New Frame’s Jan Bornman breaks down the situation in an article which you can read here.

[source:timeslive&citizen]