The police have beefed up patrols along all major routes following threats of a national shutdown by aggrieved trucking companies. Picture: SAPS
LAW ENFORCEMENT agencies across the country are on high alert following calls for a national shutdown by the All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa (ATDF-ASA).
In posts shared widely on various social media platforms, the ATSD-ASA has condemned the employment of foreign drivers and has called for truckers to embark on a national shutdown.
This means major routes around the country, including the N1, N2 and N3, could be severely affected.
Speaking during a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) briefing on Sunday, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said the relevant authorities were aware of social media posts calling for a shutdown by a group of truck drivers.
“As previously communicated, there will be zero tolerance towards threats, intimidation and closure of our roads,” Mosikili said.
“Law enforcement agencies are on high alert to ensure there are no criminal activities and that law-abiding citizens are not inconvenienced. We reiterate our stance, that no lawlessness and any form of criminality will be tolerated.”
Mosikili further called on the road freight industry to communicate their grievances within the confines of the law.
According to a private security group, Fidelity Services, the planned shutdown comes on the heels of a protracted six-year history of violence within the South African trucking and road freight industry.
Providing context on the matter, Fidelty said tensions were apparent within the trucking and road freight industry since 2018, with the main point of concern related to the employment of foreign truck drivers.
“The ATDF-ASA contends that several trucking companies in the country routinely and illegally hire foreign truck drivers at a lower cost to increase profits. As a result, South African truck drivers are left jobless,” the private security company said.
The Road Freight Association further urged for all planners and drivers to be on alert, and to inform police if their operations are impacted.