Johannesburg - Minister of Police Bheki Cele says law enforcement agencies will soon bring to book 12 armed truck arsonists who are allegedly responsible for burning at least 21 trucks this week.
Cele said deployed law enforcement has identified at least 12 people of interest possibly linked to the recent torching of trucks on national roads.
On Sunday, South Africans awoke to the shocking news that six trucks had been set alight by a group of armed assailants after forcing the drivers out of their vehicles in the early hours of the morning.
This incident was followed by yet another torching of five trucks in Lydenburg, Limpopo, on Sunday night, with more similar attacks reported in Empangeni, Piet Retief, and Ermelo as the attacks escalated to other provinces.
The KwaZulu-Natal police announced that they have established a task team to investigate the incidents following the attack on two freight trucks that were set alight on the N2 between Enseleni and Empangeni on Monday night.
This followed the torching of six trucks on the N3 at Van Reenen’s Pass on Saturday night.
Five trucks were also torched on the N4 in Mpumalanga on Sunday night, and three trucks were burnt in Limpopo on the R547 Lydenburg road on Monday morning.
At least 21 trucks have been torched since the start of the attacks on Sunday.
During his press briefing in Pretoria, Cele indicated that the attacks were a well-orchestrated operation aimed at destabilising the country’s economy.
“These are organised and sophisticated operations. They are organised in one centre in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal and dispersed in different groups to do these things,” the minister announced on yesterday, saying that the co-ordinator has also been identified.
However, Cele could not divulge more information, choosing only to say investigations were still ongoing.
According to Cele, 21 trucks ferrying goods have been torched in Mpumalanga, KZN and Limpopo since Sunday.
He said in a televised briefing that nine trucks were burnt both in Mpumalanga and KZN, respectively, while three suffered the same fate in Limpopo.
“We want to make it very clear that to date, there have been no targets on trucks in the Free State and Gauteng provinces,” the police minister said.
According to Cele, the Police Ministry has recently concluded a high-level meeting with the police commissioners of KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga led by the National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.
“We have found it necessary to apprise the nation of these criminal operations and outline the response of law enforcement to the isolated and cowardice acts.
“Whether it is economic sabotage, labour or service delivery-related disputes, police are closing in on those who choose to use violence and intimidation for whatever motive,” the minister said.
Cele added that, according to the gathered intelligence, these attacks may be business-related and not random acts of criminality.
However, many truck drivers suggested that the attacks were due to the employment of foreign nationals at the expense of South African drivers.
“No matter the motive, the country’s law enforcement remains on high alert and is hard at work at preventing more attacks but also finding these individuals or gangs of thugs who are hell-bent on causing havoc on our roads,” Cele said.
The Star