LISTEN | Truckers bring part of N3 to standstill over 'employment of foreigners'

The “employment of foreign nationals” sparked the protest by truck drivers who brought the N3 between Warden and Villiers to a standstill on Tuesday.

Protesting truckers parked their trucks on the national route that links Johannesburg and Durban.

The All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa (ATDF ASA) told TimesLIVE the protest was related to foreign truck drivers, which has long been a concern of local drivers.

“Foreign truckers are being put ahead of South Africans. [They should] go to countries where there is a shortage of skills; instead they come to SA where there is an unemployment crisis,” said Sifiso Nyathi of the ATDF ASA.

“We support those truck drivers protesting today. We are all frustrated.

“We can talk as much as we want but nobody will listen to us because we are poor. If we had money we would take these truck companies and government to court. But we don’t, so people have to protest to get heard.”

Thania Dhoogra of the N3 Toll Concession said the road between Warden and Villiers remained closed in both directions.

“The traffic backlog is extending in excess of 5km in each direction. There is no indication as to when the road will be reopened,” she said.

Dhoogra advised motorists to delay travel if possible and approach the area with caution.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.