Nine people linked to truck attacks taken in for questioning in KZN

Nine people linked to the torching of trucks along the country’s national freeways have been identified in KwaZulu-Natal and taken in for questioning. 

This was revealed by KZN premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who said it was unclear whether the nine are part of the group of 12 people mentioned by police minister Bheki Cele.

Cele told journalists on Wednesday that a dozen people of interest had been identified in relation to the burning of 21 trucks on the N3, N2 and N4 in the past week. 

In KZN, nine trucks were set alight at the N3 at Van Reenen’s Pass, the N11 and the N2 in eMpangeni, and a driver was shot after he refused to leave his truck.

Police revealed that cases of armed robbery, malicious damage to property and attempted murder are under investigation.

“It is disturbing that since 2018 police are investigating 107 cases relating to the torching of trucks. As the provincial executive council, we have received a comprehensive report on the work being done, including progress on investigations, deployment of law enforcement agencies and intelligence-gathering work,” said Dube-Ncube at a media briefing on Thursday.

“We are encouraged by the fact there are people of interest who are being identified and we are hopeful that arrests are imminent. We firmly believe that the sooner the police make arrests, the sooner the message will be made clear to all those who want to cause anarchy that such has no space in our province.

“As part of the law enforcement interventions by the provincial justice, crime prevention and security cluster led by the MEC for transport, community safety and liaison, Sipho Hlomuka, we will ensure that a special team has been assembled from the organised crime unit to investigate these cases.”

She said the cluster would engage the department of justice to set up a special court “to deal with these matters as they are considered urgent and tantamount to economic sabotage”.

Dube-Ncube said additional deployments including soldiers would be sent to strategic routes.

“We are not able to indicate the number of [defence force] members who have been deployed in the province, for security reasons.”

She said the integrated law enforcement operations are being mounted, which comprise the police, the road traffic inspectorate, the national traffic police and municipal traffic officials.

Community structures on all strategic routes have been activated to help intelligence structures with key information and for early detection, said Dube-Ncube. 

“The government will engage with all role players through the interministerial task team dealing with the challenges facing the trucking industry. While doing this, acts of criminality must be dealt with and perpetrators must be arrested. If there are genuine concerns within the sector, they must be raised using correct platforms and tactics. Violence cannot be the solution.”

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