Durban — Police Minister Bheki Cele said the police have 12 people of interest regarding the spate of truck-torching incidents, adding that they are an organised, coordinated and sophisticated operation who are trying to sabotage the state.
Cele was speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria yesterday to provide an update on the incidents in which 21 trucks have been torched in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.
He did not confirm whether the 12 included a man whose video went viral after his image was captured in one of the trucks in the Mpumalanga incident.
The minister said they knew these people by their names, addresses, and the cars they drove, and that the police were closing in on them.
“Whether it is economic sabotage,labour or service delivery related disputes, police are closing in on those who choose to use violence and intimidation for whatever motive,” said Cele.
He revealed that at this stage there was no evidence linking the attacks with the July unrest two years ago.
“While this week marks two years since we saw mass looting, acts of arson, and wanton destruction in KZN and Gauteng, where 354 people lost their lives as a result of the mayhem, as things stand, there is no evidence before us to suggest that the recent target on trucks are in any way related or linked to the July insurrection. I wish to take this opportunity to allay any fears that what transpired in July 2021 will repeat itself,” Cele said.
He added police were investigating 107 cases in KZN related to the torching of trucks since 2018, “so the torching of trucks started way before the July unrest”.
The total number of burnt trucks rose on Wednesday morning after four more were burnt at about 5.30am on the N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the drivers were ordered, at gunpoint to exit the trucks before the vehicles were torched.
“It is alleged that people emerged from the grass and approached the trucks with firearms and instructed the drivers to get out otherwise they would burn them inside. They then left and ran away,” said Mohlala.
It was reported that one person, a passenger, sustained burns to her face and feet. It is understood that she was sleeping inside one of the trucks when it was set alight and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Cele said that there would be more police visibility on arterial routes to try to prevent truck attacks.
“No matter the motive, the country’s law enforcement remains on high alert and is hard at work at preventing more attacks but also finding these individuals or gangs of thugs hell-bent on causing havoc on our roads. It is on this score, that the SAPS has heightened police visibility and is leaving nothing to chance in all provinces. All major routes have been secured and regular patrols are being conducted along identified high-risk routes,” he said.
KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has condemned the attacks on the trucks, saying it was an act of sabotage aimed not only at the road freight industry, but which seeks to paralyse the whole economy of South Africa.
“These main arterial highways are really our backbone for our economy in our country. It is estimated by the industry itself that the six-hour shutdown in Van Reenen’s Pass alone could have cost anything close to R60 million upwards, including the loss of income and salaries, as a result of this shutdown,” Dube-Ncube said.
Meanwhile, the president of Agri SA, Jaco Minnaar, has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy SANDF members to be on the lookout for the threat that these activities pose to lives, as they are a direct assault on the South African economy and a significant risk to food security.
“In its dire economic situation, South Africa simply cannot afford to surrender vital export revenue to uncontrolled criminal activity. That is why Agri SA is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has reportedly called the attacks economic sabotage, to deploy the SANDF in support of the police to protect major transportation routes.
“Crime Intelligence must also be tasked with investigating who is behind these attacks, and the culprits must be charged and brought to book,” said Minnaar. He added that urgency was necessary to protect the truck drivers from acts of violence, but also to safeguard the valuable cargo they transport, which includes agricultural goods.
“Farmers are already dealing with a general logistics crisis caused by a failing rail network, decaying rural roads, and congested ports. Violence on our county’s highways adds another level of insecurity, further hampering economic growth. For the sake of vital livelihoods in the agricultural sector, food security across the country, and the safety of the country’s truck drivers, we hope to see immediate action from the president on this critical situation,” said Minnaar.
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