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According to the Labor Ministry, there have been 84 attacks since April this year, prompting hasty efforts among various departments to coordinate a response plan.
One of two trucks that caught fire on the N12 in Daveyton, Benoni on November 25, 2020. Image: Via @ EWNTraffic / Twitter
DURBAN – As the government speaks out against violence in the trucking industry, families who have lost loved ones in the latest attacks have been left reeling.
According to the Labor Ministry, there have been 84 attacks since April this year, prompting hasty efforts among various departments to coordinate a response plan.
According to the Road Freight Association, more than 30 vehicles have been attacked, while the Labor Department has set the number at 13.
The violence is believed to be partly due to tensions between foreign drivers and South Africans demanding jobs only for locals.
One man was killed while several others were seriously injured or threatened in separate incidents.
‘I DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THIS’
Busani Dlamini left her Ixopo home in KwaZulu-Natal last Sunday and headed to work.
The next day, he was shot in Alberton, east of Johannesburg, with the truck that had driven to Polokwane and returned burning in a field not far from his lifeless body.
Dlamini (45), a married father of three whose family describes him as peaceful, had promised to spend more time with them this holiday season, something he had struggled to juggle due to work commitments.
His brother, Leornard, told him Eyewitness news He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.
“He was a breadwinner; he was like a father to us. We were the only remaining members of our family; our families have passed away. “
A close friend and colleague of Dlamini, who spoke anonymously, said the truckers worked in constant fear.
“I’m very scared, even now, I don’t know what to say. I can’t even sleep. Everyone is afraid of driving on the roads. “
EXCLUSION OF FOREIGN DRIVERS
Meanwhile, foreign truck drivers have complained that they are being excluded from talks about violence in their industry.
While the police ministry is confident it is in control of the situation, players in the trucking industry are unconvinced given the resurgence and severity of attacks, especially in the last month.
Groups like the SADC Crossdrivers Association said their fears and concerns were not being taken seriously and that this would affect the way their members treat South Africans in neighboring countries.
As Secretary General Tatenda Mehlomakhulu explained, they could even be denied access.
“We do not want to attack our South African brothers, but what we are going to do is prevent them from crossing the African borders. If they don’t want to live with us in their country, then they don’t need to be with us in our country ”.
* READ: Nxesi warns that truck attacks in SA could face retaliation in the rest of Africa
Meanwhile, the National Interfaith Council of South Africa has condemned the attacks.
“As members of the clergy, we say no to the killing of people from other countries or from South Africa. We say no to kill. We respect the right to life protected by the Constitution, ”said council advocate Abigail Ngobeni.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, meanwhile, said at least 25 people had been arrested in recent weeks in connection with attacks on trucks.
The government has created a ministerial committee to examine issues including legislation related to migration and employment in hopes of resolving the deadlock.
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