The N3, one of SA’s busiest trucking routes, has become the most fearful route for truck drivers.
Etuan van der Westhuizen, Hestony Trucking MD, said the N3 is Gauteng’s “bloodline” but his drivers have become hesitant to drive the route after the continuous attacks on trucks.
“Our drivers are fearful and reluctant to drive this route.”
Van der Westhuizen said 80 of their trucks travel the N3 route on a daily basis.
He said last year they lost seven trucks to “these thugs”.
“What has us worried, is that the attacks came without warning.
“There are thousands of drivers and crew whose lives are at risk, not to mention valuable cargo. The risks to our business are immense,” he said.
The SA Road Freight Association has appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa for urgent intervention by government to help the industry curb the attacks.
Though it comes amid sporadic protests against foreign national drivers, the association believes there are other motives behind the criminality.
These attacks are being carried out with military precision, indicating that there is a strong coordinated leadership element with some level of formal military training.
“We have seen SA citizens attacked, seriously injured and even killed in this activity ... Clearly — this is not about foreign drivers,” the association said. “These attacks are being carried out with military precision, indicating that there is a strong co-ordinated leadership element with some level of formal military training.
“When attacks occur you need security escorts, which cost money. It becomes more expensive for companies which hire trucks to transport their goods. The result is rising costs get passed on to the consumer.”
He also disputed the issue of drivers’ nationalities as the motive, saying: “We are hearing this could be linked to unions’ unhappiness over foreigners being employed over South Africans, which is utter rubbish.”
Rudolf Waldeck from SA Zero Waste trucking company said its trucks mostly transport manganese from the Northern Cape to Durban. The company was one of the “lucky ones” not affected by the attacks. “Lucky it is not something they want or try to steal.”
Despite not being affected, Waldeck said the company had put extra measures in place to ensure the safety of drivers and the cargo.
He said for the past two days they had stopped their trucks from travelling at night.
Their trucks were also being monitored in their control room.
“The trucks have been fitted with cameras to monitor when the vehicles go through the hotspot areas.”
Waldeck said the hotspot areas were Durban, Mariannhill and Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal.
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