Freight hit by violent protests on N3

COMMUNITY protests were having a negative impact on the operations of the freight industry as protesters often express their anger by burning trucks.

The Road Freight Association (RFA) was commenting after a truck was torched on Wednesday afternoon as disgruntled residents at Harrismith in the Free State intensified their violent protest.

According to media reports, protesting residents from Intabazwe are demanding that their area no longer falls under the Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality, saying this state of affairs has led to their area lagging behind in service delivery. The community is also demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa visit the area to listen to their grievances.

RFA chief executive Gavin Kelly said they were concerned about the unrest, saying they condemned such attacks on the transport sector.

Kelly said the industry was an easy target for anyone who has a grievance, saying many of the protests had nothing to do with them.

“We carry the vitally necessary goods for everyone, including those who strike and are unhappy, yet they attack us – who are innocent,” he said.

According to Kelly, alternative routes were not always viable due to the condition or length of these routes, safe overnight places, and unknown security risks.

Kelly also called on Ramaphosa to ensure the persons and property of all in South Africa were protected. “The SAPS must be efficiently used to defuse, protect or prosecute, where applicable, those responsible for perpetrating violence.”

He said if the sole reason for the spate of violent protests did indeed stem from poor service delivery or lack of government services, Ramaphosa should act against those public servants causing this. “Whenever there are delays, someone pays for the extra security, refrigeration, loss of loads and delays. Who pays? It’s the consumer in the end.”

Kelly said more than five trucks had been torched around Harrismith since the start of this protest. He said such incidents affected the industry as insurance rates go up.

Free State police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele confirmed a truck was petrol bombed during a violent protest on the N3 on Wednesday. Makhele said it was alleged the truck was near Bergview when protesters threw a petrol bomb at it and it caught alight. According to the police, 19 people had been arrested since Wednesday.

Free State provincial government spokesperson Sello Pietersen said they were aware of the concerns raised by the community. According to Pietersen, the community had accused the local municipality of failure to provide efficient services such as water, electricity, ablution and other services.

Many of the community members were using power illegally, thus the municipality was unable to generate revenue. This had crippled the municipality, he said.

He said the residents had demanded they no longer be part of the municipality and were calling for a new municipality to be established. Pietersen said Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela had established a task team of MECs to attend to service delivery.