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National Truck Drivers’ Foundation warns against violence during protests

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The National Truck Drivers’ Foundation has cautioned its members against acts of violence during its planned national strike on Monday. Over the last week, messages have been doing rounds on social media calling for a national shutdown of major routes.

The Foundation’s secretary Siphesihle Muthwa says the strike is in response to trucking companies taking them to court for allegedly setting trucks on fire. He says the strike is also against the alleged excessive employment of foreign nationals.

“We distance ourselves from any violence by the drivers. We plead to South African drivers not to engage themselves in torching trucks in hurting foreign drivers because we are still in talks with the government.”

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has warned striking truck drivers that violence will not be tolerated.

Zikalala says they are aware of the concerns raised by truck drivers and that government is currently working on the issue.

“That is why as the provincial government, we intervened and called the national to come on board. All departments that are affected are part of the task team that has been established. We’d like to call on the people to be responsible. We’re not against people striking, but we’re against damaging property, we’re against victimising and attacking others. So if there’s a strike and people are attacked then police must do their work.”

Meanwhile, the Zambian government has issued a travel advisory, warning its truck drivers to avoid travelling on South Africa’s major routes on the 1st and 2nd of September.

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