Five trucks burnt in Gqeberha in past month

Trucks continue to be stoned and set alight on the M17 Addo Road in Motherwell, Gqeberha, bringing the total to five over the last month as protesters from surrounding informal settlements demand the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality supply them with water and electricity.

The R335, along which many goods are trucked to the port of Ngqura, is flanked by the Nomkanjani, Powerline, and Ramaphosa informal settlements.

A coal truck was torched on June 23 by protesters demanding the electrification of about 3,000 shacks. Protests flared again on July 12 resulting in a fruit truck being stoned and set alight. The driver of a manganese truck crashed into the wall of a residence after losing control while trying to dodge rocks and protesters, according to police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu.

Naidu confirmed a white Volvo truck carrying fruit was also halted and torched on July 14.  “The driver stopped his truck, and the protesters then pulled the driver and his assistants out of the truck. The truck was then torched. Passengers were unharmed. The incident was due to service delivery.”

GroundUp arrived at the scene while the truck was burning, with smoke billowing as about 12 armed police officers monitored the situation. A fire truck arrived to extinguish the flames.

A witness, who asked not to be named as he lives in the area, said the burning of trucks was “hooliganism” not protest.

Another truck was torched on the same road last week after a power outage had dragged on for five days.

Naidu said the truck was set alight at about 6pm. “Police were quick to react and prevented the complete torching of the truck. Protesters ran away.”

She said one suspect has been arrested and charged with public violence, damage to essential infrastructure, and malicious damage to property.

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality issued a statement last week stating the power outage affecting Aloes, Coega, Dumbrody, Hougham Park, Kamvelihle, and surrounding areas was due to the Coega overhead line breaker having tripped.

When mayor Gary van Niekerk visited flooded shacks in Nomakanjani informal settlement on June 12, protesters from neighbouring Ramaphosa and Powerline informal settlements blocked his convoy, demanding electrification.

In Nomakanjani, residents told Van Niekerk they were subject to flooding, many shacks lacked electricity supply, and the area suffered load-shedding beyond the scheduled hours. The mayor was also informed that many standpipes from which residents obtained water, were dry.

Accompanied by officials from the municipality’s electricity and water departments, Van Niekerk promised services would be delivered.

A municipal worker from the electricity and energy directorate who cannot be named as he had no authority to speak to the press said: “It’s easy for politicians to say this will be done but it’s difficult for us to access the area. We always think of our safety which is not guaranteed. Anything could happen when there is a protest.”

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality spokesperson Kupido Baron said the torching of trucks was a criminal act and denied it was due to service delivery protests.

Kupido did not answer questions on service delivery time-frames.

GroundUp/