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- Home affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has dismissed claims that four truck drivers died at the Beitbridge border post as a result of massive congestion.
- According to the minister, only one truck driver died, but he did not want to disclose the cause of death.
- It also dismissed claims that the congestion was the result of poor planning by the government.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has dismissed claims that four truckers died at the Beitbridge border post as a result of the massive congestion.
Between December 23 and 26, reports of meandering queues emerged at the Limpopo border post with multiple claims that the congestion was the result of poor planning by the government.
The Road Freight Association (RFA) claimed that truck drivers had died due to the dire conditions.
RFA CEO Gavin Kelly was also quoted as saying there were unconfirmed reports that seven other truckers had died. This information allegedly came from the local police.
Kelly said there were no food, water or toilet facilities that the truckers could use.
During a briefing on Wednesday, Motsoaledi criticized these claims, saying inaccurate stories dotted the news and caused a lot of confusion.
Death of the truck driver
Motsoaledi said the department wrote to the RFA executive director asking for the names of the truck drivers who were allegedly killed according to its press release.
“Yesterday, the CEO referred us to a police officer in Limpopo,” Motsoaledi said.
“When we called this police officer, he told us that he doesn’t know where this is all coming from and why they are referring us to him.”
Motsoaledi said they will not reveal the cause of death, but that the family knew how he died and never tried to play politics with his death.
The minister added that two other people had died on December 23 and 24, but did not belong to the trucking industry. He said they had died of various ailments that he would not disclose for privacy reasons.
Pointed
“Aside from the truck driver who passed away on December 23, 2020, the day congestion peaked, the other deaths occurred long before the increased activity associated with the Christmas season began,” Motsoaledi said.
He added: “Of course, there was a certain mortality of people who have nothing to do with truck driving, but who are always in that area.”
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He said deaths were recorded on December 8, 13, 14 and 22, before the congestion at the border post.
“Beitbridge is an area of intense human activity where there are many people involved in various activities.
“There are many changes and deals in that environment. It would be a miracle to believe that such an area of human activity will not have any form of mortality at all.
“In fact most of the people who passed away in Beitbridge and if I may add it is a year round event, which has nothing to do with road congestion as it was widely reported during the Christmas period.”
Cause of congestion
The minister also dismissed claims that the congestion was caused by the government.
Among the claims was that the department did not plan ahead and should have anticipated that there would be many travelers crossing the border back home as they were unable to travel earlier due to the Covid-19 shutdown.
“Listening to the media last week, it was generally accepted as an unanswerable fact that this year there were far more travelers crossing Beitbridge than in previous years. Our statistics show otherwise.”
According to the department, there was a 27% drop in travelers crossing the Beitbridge border post in December compared to the same period in 2019.
In December 2019, 368,895 travelers crossed Beitbridge compared to 103,224 crossings recorded between December 1 and December 27, 2020.
Question
“It is out of the question to say that this year there were a lot of people who were not planned and who caused congestion,” Motsoaledi said.
Instead, trucking companies were to blame for the congestion, as they decided to use the Beitbridge border post to avoid the Groblersbrug post on the Botswana border, due to the country’s strict lockdown regulations and strict curfew.
“It was not profitable for many trucking companies to cross into the region via Botswana. The South African border post with Botswana closest to Beitbridge is Groblersbrug. Usually at this time of year, Groblersbrug is used as an overflow area. when Beitbridge can’t cope with the number of trucks This year it was the other way around.
Trucks parked at the Beitbridge border post.
Rooster
“Trucking companies diverted their trucks from Groblersbrug to Beitbridge because they did not accept the wait times imposed by Covid protocols in Botswana,” Motsoaledi said.
The minister said this was evident when looking at the statistics.
READ | 4 truck drivers have died while queuing at Beitbridge border post – RFA
In December 2019, 6,706 trucks passed through Groblersbrug, compared to 2,968 trucks that used the border post during December 2020.
“By contrast, 19,800 trucks passed through Beitbridge in December 2019, compared to 21,800 on December 27, 2020.
“A simple analysis will show that Groblersbrug has 3 738 fewer trucks this year compared to 2019, and at least 2,000 of these trucks made it to Beitbridge, hence the congestion.”
In addition, truck drivers abandoned an arrangement that they park in waiting areas or truck stops where a large number of documents required by the South African Revenue Service and various business protocols finalize.
“By the time they leave the holding areas, most of this administrative work will have been completed, resulting in a smooth transition at the border post.
“Unfortunately, these waiting areas were abandoned and trucks parked on the road and even occupied lines of incoming traffic, consequently even blocking traffic from the Zimbabwean side heading to South Africa.
“The trucking companies are not blamed when these facts are stated. They are only facts supported by figures. And we cannot spin them in any other way as the SA Cargo Association tried last week. They are stubborn,” Motsoaledi said.
Motsoaledi added that the detention areas have parking, water and toilets.
“When you leave the detention areas with all these facilities and park on the N1 and then blame the state for not providing water and sanitation, you are being disingenuous and dishonest.”
“It is as if the adults who are in charge of the trucks are ordinary schoolchildren with no responsibility but who need to be herded all the time.”
However, the minister admitted that traffic officials were not present at the beginning of the congestion, as it was not deemed necessary due to the layout of the waiting area.
He added that both parties were to blame, but that the congestion would never have occurred if the truckers had not left the waiting areas.
