N3 open as police disperse truck driver protest

The truck driver blockade of the N3 highway has been cleared, according to traffic reports.

“There are no incidents disrupting the flow of traffic along the N3 toll route between Cedara and Heidelberg South,” the N3 Toll Concession company said early on Friday.

Van Reenen’s Pass was opened for travel in both directions after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi visited the area on Thursday. The order was given for vehicles to be towed away should truckers refuse to disperse.

The N12 near Bloemhof was also reopened after a protest there.

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said on Wednesday government was “on the verge of concluding an agreement” on proposed interventions in the trucking industry.

“I have been working around the clock with the ministers of labour and employment and home affairs together with affected stakeholders to address the issues raised by the truck drivers and small truck operators,” he said.

A follow-up meeting is scheduled for Sunday, he said.

Drivers have been protesting against the employment of foreign nationals. The issue has sparked a violence in SA in recent years, with dozens of trucks looted and set alight and several drivers killed or injured. Protest blockades have closed crucial highways, particularly the N3, preventing the transport of goods between provinces.

In November, the police and departments of home affairs and employment and labour released a joint statement saying they had “committed to speed up” policy changes regarding road freight. In February, cabinet said it had approved the launch of public consultations on the proposed national labour migration policy (NLMP) and Employment Services Amendment Bill.

Mbalula said: “We have taken note of the complaints about the sluggish pace of implementing interventions in areas we have agreed on.

“A follow-up engagement is scheduled for Sunday with all stakeholders. We therefore call for an end to the blockade of roads and for truck drivers to allow the engagement process to run its course. We must all appreciate we all have a responsibility to ensure economic activity is not hampered as this will inevitably lead to job losses as a result of economic downturn.”

The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry said blockades of the N3 acts of economic sabotage.

“Continuous congestion, road closures and concerns of safety along the N3 are increasing and this should no longer be tolerated.

“The KwaZulu-Natal economy is extremely reliant on the N3 Corridor. It is a critical trade route that connects our harbours to the inland, a key import and export route, as well as domestic trade route for all sectors. Hence such behaviour cannot become a norm for addressing social issues in SA when so many other functional platforms exist.”

The chamber urged government to do everything possible to ensure a return to stability and order.

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