Photo by [TimesLive]
Sifiso Nyathi, Secretary of the All Truck Drivers Forum (ADTF) and Allied South Africa (ASA), strongly condemned the incidents of truck burnings across different provinces and national highways. While the investigation is still in progress and the motive remains unclear, Nyathi believes the recent acts of arson can be attributed to unemployment issues faced by truck drivers in South Africa.
Nyathi expressed they have continuously voiced their worries regarding the joblessness of South African truck drivers and the hiring of foreign individuals for similar positions across multiple government departments like the Transport Department, Labour Department, and Home Affairs Department, as well as directly with companies and employers.
“We expressed our concern, [that] this industry and this sector is dominated by foreign nationals who are employed by … Truck owners or truck companies. What they [doing] is breaking the law of … employment. Remember driving is not a scarce skill. It is a normal skill. We have many people sitting at home, hungry and with no jobs.”
Therefore, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee last year to tackle the issues brought forth by truck drivers and small truck operators.
The recent occurrences involving the burning of approximately 20 trucks in separate incidents along crucial supply routes are just a few examples of similar incidents that have taken place in previous years. It is worth noting that the surge in these attacks is happening concurrently with the July 2021 riots.
The Negative Impact of Truck Burnings
According to numerous observers, the arson attacks on trucks are anticipated to have extensive adverse effects on the economy. A substantial portion of goods entering and exiting the country rely on truck transportation.
President Ramaphosa announced earlier this week he had designated a specialised team to investigate the arson attacks, emphasising that these incidents were a clear example of “economic sabotage”.
As per reports President Ramaphosa said, “I am concerned about these activities which have a negative impact on our economy. It is almost like economic sabotage because burning six trucks on the main artery of our country is concerning in terms of the economy … It is not acceptable that trucks and facilities that are enhancing our economy are attacked. They should never be attacked.”
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Advocating for South African Truck Drivers
Over the years, the ADTF has consistently advocated and called upon companies to refrain from hiring foreign nationals when abundant skilled and capable South African drivers are available. On certain occasions, they organised peaceful demonstrations, including park-offs and marches, to support and represent truck drivers.
Despite raising their concerns with relevant stakeholders, Nyathi reported that employers continue to disregard legislation and the conditions of South African truck drivers by hiring foreign nationals for truck driving positions.
Furthermore, he pointed out they continue to act in violation of the law because they face no consequences or accountability.
“The law of this country is not enforced in those companies. Why [then] if something like this is happening out of the blue coming from nowhere, while we know the people causing the problem? But no one makes them accountable, but no one points the finger.”
