Cape Town – KwaZulu-Natal business owners have reportedly resorted to hiring private security companies to curb the looting of trucks and disruption to cargo transportation on the N2 and N3 national routes.
This comes after, a truck drivers’ protest last week brought traffic to a standstill on the national route that links Johannesburg and Durban, as they protested over the alleged “employment of foreign nationals”.
The protest resulted in major delays in the transportation of goods and a loss of over R300 million in what has been described as sabotage to SA’s economy.
One of the companies providing security said that “certain business entities” employed private firms to ensure smooth sailing of transporting goods and the safety of drivers, reported SowetanLive.
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“This route is the main roadway for the distribution of goods from KwaZulu-Natal to other provinces which is continuously disrupted by truck protests which create massive delays and extensive damage to vehicles.
“The private sector has deployed specialised security forces along the N3 on specific days to ensure the smooth flow of operations with no delays or disruptions,” the report quoted Glen Naidoo, head of KZN VIP Protection as saying.
Naidoo said that anti-riot teams had been deployed to the Mariannhill and Mooi River tolls on the N3, and on the N2 between Phoenix and Umhlanga and in Prospecton, south of Durban.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said last week that he was working with Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi and Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to address the issues raised by the truck drivers.
He said that engagement with stakeholders was planned to ensure that economic activity is not hampered.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
