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PRETORIA – In the last week alone, two dozen trucks were destroyed and at least one driver killed.
ENCA sources say that processes are underway within SAPS to submit a formal request for support to SANDF.
Police are expected to ask for help to secure the country’s roads and prevent further truck attacks.
It is understood that the SANDF senior leadership will consider this request in a matter of days.
READ: Truck Attacks: Ministers Say Crime Must Stop
Sources say that if the deployment is approved, the mandate will be broader than simply protecting the trucks.
It is understood that the soldiers will also provide support for police operations during the holiday season.
This is a function that takes place almost every year during the main festivities of the country.
SANDF’s Siphiwe Dlamini said they have not yet received any formal requests from the police.
READ: Truck Attacks: Armed Escorts Are An Expensive Security Option
Yusuf Abramjee of Crime Watch says such a deployment would be a relief to the many truck drivers who work in constant fear of being attacked.
“These attacks on trucks have reached epidemic proportions. It is a real crisis. The police certainly cannot cope,” Abramjee said.
“The suggestion that the defense force be incorporated is long overdue.
“We know that the Disaster Management Act provides for the deployment of SANDF. We know that the president authorized the deployment of SANDF a few months ago and I see absolutely no reason why soldiers should not be deployed to protect these trucks.”
Police have declined to comment, saying it is an operational matter.
