THE burning of trucks is becoming a trend on our roads and President Cyril Ramaphosa is not happy about it.
On Sunday, 9 July, five trucks were set on fire at Waterval Boven on the N4 route in Mpumalanga.
The truck drivers were allegedly ordered to hand over their ID documents and told to leave the trucks.
Mpumalanga police spokesman Brigadier Selvy Mohlala confirmed the incident on Monday morning, 10 July.
Mpumalanga - N4 Route: Truck Attacks near Waterval Boven - ROAD CLOSED - traffic diverted via Schoemanskloof pic.twitter.com/kYBApl2iep
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) July 10, 2023
According to Mohlala, the motive for the burning of the trucks is still unknown.
Mohlala said the occupants of two vehicles, a Toyota Hilux bakkie and a sedan, stopped the trucks just before the Waterval Boven Tunnel and set them on fire, without telling the drivers the motive.
"We are continuing our investigation. No one has been arrested yet," Mohlala said.
This is not the first time that the setting of trucks on fire has made headlines.
In KZN, tempers flared on Saturday night, 8 July, when six trucks were set on fire by suspected armed assailants at Van Reenen's Pass, leading to the closure of the N3 toll road.
According to authorities, no injuries were reported and roads have since been reopened.
In response to the incident, Ramaphosa told a media briefing on Sunday night that he was concerned about the ongoing acts of "economic sabotage".
"We will ensure that we prosecute the people who torched these trucks because it is unacceptable that trucks and facilities that drive our economy are attacked. They should never be attacked. This is a real problem," he said.
Ramaphosa said he was awaiting a report from intelligence service.
