South Africa
Trucks set alight in Western, Eastern Cape─── 16:55 Wed, 08 Jul 2020
Two trucks have been torched on the N1 outside Paarl. That's as the national truck drivers' shutdown in protest against the employment of foreign nationals continues.
eNCA reports no injuries or arrests have been confirmed and the road will remain closed until the debris has been cleared.
Meanwhile, an interdict has been granted against truck drivers over the strike.
It prevents the All Truck Drivers Foundation (ATDF) from organising, encouraging or inciting any protest action or "national shutdown".
ATDF representative in Gauteng, Mandla Mngomezulu, said the association can't stop truck drivers continuing with their protest against the employment of foreign nationals.
Algoa FM reports three trucks were set alight in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday night causing damage of over R5 million.
Police Spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu says In the first incident a 36-year-old truck driver was standing next to Neptune and Alumina Road at the Coega IDZ, when he saw a white Polo approaching.
Four men jumped out of the car and chased the truck driver away before a petrol bomb was thrown at the truck.
The driver was not injured, but his truck was destroyed.
She says the second incident happened in Old Grahamstown Road just after 7 pm.
A 55-year-old truck driver was about to turn into the Engen Truck Stop in Swartkops when he heard a loud bang.
He saw a suspect in his rear view mirror and then noticed that his truck was on fire.
Both the driver and his assistant jumped out to safety.
The truck was loaded with concrete pipes, which was not damaged.
In the last incident, police were called out to a scene in Perseverance where they found a Mercedez Benz truck, belonging to SPAR, on fire.
This happened just before 8 pm at the intersection of the M14 and M19.
The truck driver was rushed to the hospital to be treated for burn wounds on his arm.
Colonel Naidu says a case of malicious damage to property is under investigation.
Truck drivers in several parts of the country embarked on a strike on Tuesday, reportedly all to express their unhappiness that foreigners are being employed.
eNCA/AlgoaFM
