Five trucks torched in Mpumalanga hours after six were set alight on N3

Just hours after six trucks were set alight on the N3 in what has been described as “a co-ordinated attack on the road freight sector”, another five were torched under similar circumstances in Mpumalanga.

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala confirmed the incident on Monday morning.

“Five trucks were set alight [on Sunday] evening at Waterval Boven. We don't know the motive for the incident. The information at our disposal is that two vehicles, a Toyota Hilux bakkie and a sedan, stopped the trucks just before the Waterval Boven tunnel and set them alight without telling the drivers the motive.”

The drivers were instructed to take their personal belongings and vacate the trucks, according to police.

Mohlala said no arrests had been made. He urged motorists to use Schoemanskloof as an alternative road.

On Sunday morning the N3 toll route was forced to close after six trucks were set alight on Van Reenen's Pass by unknown assailants.

The drivers managed to escape unhurt.

Speaking at the scene of the incident, police minister Bheki Cele said he had been informed one truck in the queue at the N3 concession plaza had come under attack by occupants of a white vehicle who had forced the truck to stop, opened fire on it and then burnt it. 

He said the other five trucks that were also burnt were side casualties, and more damage would have been done had it not been for fast intervention by security patrols who fended off the attackers. 

Reacting to Sunday’s incident was All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied SA’s KwaZulu-Natal secretary Gugu Sokhela, who told eNCA they could not confirm or deny whether any of their members were involved.

“We don't know anything in terms of factionalism within our organisation. Our organisation is as united as ever,” he said.

“Regarding the torching of the trucks now, we cannot confirm yet whether it is our members. But [members are angry] regarding government not doing the right thing.”

Sokhela explained this, saying the government's failure to implement regulations reserving jobs within the industry for South Africans had left members angry and may have possibly led to the torching incident.

Pressed on whether they'd want action taken if any of their members turned out to be involved, Sokhela said while they would report them to the police, they also understood their frustrations of facing unemployment while foreign drivers “enjoy all the benefits of being employed”.

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