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By Sakhiseni Nxumalo 
6h ago
Durban – FOREIGN truck drivers have been given an ultimatum to quit their jobs in early December or face massive disruptions.
This ultimatum was issued by the All Truck Drivers Foundation (ATDF), a group of local truck drivers who advocate for the employment of 100% of local truck drivers.
More than 500 ATDF members joined forces yesterday with members of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA), homeless people, hostel dwellers and unemployed graduates to march towards the port of Durban to protest against the continued employment of foreigners in the freight transport industry. .
During the march, protesters blocked the Bayhead and Langeberg roads and closed all the gates to the terminals leading to the port.
They demanded that the South African trucks be not driven by foreign nationals.
“Foreign registration trucks must be driven by foreign truckers, as is the case in other countries like Namibia. This must be implemented as of December 1. Enough is enough, ”the memo reads.
The group also went to the CBD, marching from Durban City Hall to Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road, prompting the temporary closure of foreign companies in the area.
The march comes after more than 30 trucks were set on fire in provinces across the country as of Thursday of last week.
ATDF Secretary General Sifiso Nyathi promised that if the companies did not comply with their demands by the specified date, they would ensure no revenue.
“We have a plan B, however, I will not go into details about it. What I can tell you is that we will escalate our protests to the point where they don’t make a profit either.
“Local truckers are starving. If they want to feed foreigners in our own country, companies are going to starve with us. We are going to make sure their economy is affected as well, and that is a promise, ”Nyathi said.
He said that the Ministerial Task Force, made up of government departments such as Internal Affairs, Labor and Transportation, to investigate foreigners employed as drivers, had not produced a positive result.
“The government should be helping its citizens, ensuring that companies are held accountable and enforcing the law regarding low-skill jobs.
“We don’t know who to talk to, as no one takes us seriously, so we will make sure to deal with this in our own way,” he said.
MKMVA’s Zibuse Cele said the government should implement laws that favor locals when it comes to employment. He accused foreign nationals of stealing jobs.
“In all private companies and government departments, we want the local population to be given priority. We have a large number of unemployed graduates and truckers in this country, and they need jobs, ”he said.
Two weeks ago, MKMVA members closed several foreign-owned stores in the informal commerce section of the Workshop Mall.
Foreigners have not yet resumed their business activities on the site.
“Since we closed that site, we are seeing an improvement and we are going to clean this country step by step,” Cele said.
African Solidarity Network executive director Daniel Dunia said the government’s failure to take action against threats directed at foreigners spoke volumes about its attitude towards them.
Dunia said the police were afraid of MKMVA and had done nothing to ensure his safety in the city.
“Law enforcement is too weak. These people are just criminals. The police and the city must stop this because it is getting worse, ”he said.
Dunia said several foreign national stores were looted in section B of KwaMashu yesterday morning.
“We are not safe in this country and we will soon begin to find ways to protect ourselves. We cannot die like chickens, we have to fight, ”he said.
KwaZulu-Natal Prime Minister Sihle Zikalala called for calm and peaceful resolution of all concerns facing truck drivers and the trucking industry.
He said they had brought the matter up to the national government, as it was not just a KZN matter, but had implications for the entire Southern African Development Community region.
“The provincial government is committed to the transformation and stabilization of the logistics and road transport industry, which is a critical sector of the provincial and national economy,” he said.
He added that they will continue to involve all relevant actors and work within the law to negotiate solutions aimed at resolving the conflict.
He said they would also work to stabilize the industry within the scope of the country’s Constitution in the long term.
“However, we must reiterate that we will not allow anarchy to threaten our economy, even more so as we emerge from the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Therefore, we call on those who have grievances to work with us and not close our roads, carry torches or even resort to attacking truckers as has happened before.
“Where these violations occur, we expect the government’s justice, crime prevention and security group to respond decisively to maintain peace and order by addressing crime and illegal activities in the province,” Zikalala said.
The Mercury
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