South Africa’s army has been deployed to support the police in securing key arterial routes following a spate of attacks on trucks that the government has described as economic sabotage.
Twenty trucks have been set alight over five days, the bulk of which were carrying coal to the nation’s harbors, which suggested the violence was linked to “economic wars” in that industry, Police Minister Bheki Cele told reporters in Pretoria on Wednesday.
No arrests have been made but the police have identified 12 “people of interest,” most of whom are based in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, which includes the Durban and Richards Bay ports.
“Evidence before us points to organized coordinated and sophisticated truck attacks that seek to undermine and sabotage the state,” Cele said.
Armed gangs have violently forced truck drivers out of their vehicles before setting them alight during the early hours of the day.
The intelligence services were aware that attacks had been planned but didn’t have specific details on when and where they would happen, said Fanie Masemola, the national police commissioner.
There have been about 67 attacks on trucks since 2018 and more than 100 vehicles have been torched, with the violence previously linked to disputes over the hiring of foreign drivers.
The latest violence broke out on Saturday evening in KwaZulu-Natal, where civil unrest that claimed 354 lives erupted two years ago.
Cele said there was currently no evidence to link the renewed truck attacks to the unrest, which was triggered by the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma on contempt charges. Intelligence gathered by the police had helped avert further incidents in Gauteng, the economic hub, he said.
Army and police personnel have been stationed across the N3 highway that links Gauteng to Durban, and along several other roads.
Trucks ferry about 80% of all the goods moved in and around South Africa because the state-owned railway lacks the capacity to handle the freight.
[ON AIR] why are truck being burned? Dr. Paul Nordengen, Director: HVTTA, Freddy Mnguni – Truck Driver, Anele Kiet, SATAWU Deputy General Secretary, Lungisa Matandela – GM Operations NBCRFLI, Brig. Selvy Mohlala – @SAPoliceService Mpumalanga Spokesperson on #SAfmSunrise #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/PNrMpW4trB
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The attacks were having a negative impact across the entire transport and logistics industries and the economy as a whole, Gavin Kelly, chief executive of the Road Freight Association, said in an interview.
While the direct cost of the latest attacks still has to be determined, it probably stood at a maximum of about R200 million so far, he said.
“We need to stop this,” he said.
“All the businesses that support logistics, the fuel, the tires, the servicing, the accommodation, the meals, other support systems all start to shrink because the numbers of trucks are shrinking, and that business goes to other countries, it goes to other ports.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that the perpetrators of the attacks will be bought to book.
“We will not allow South Africa to have people who are running around on a rampage destroying the economic assets of our country,” he said in a speech on Wednesday. “We will not allow those who intend to sabotage the economy of our country to have their way.”
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