The ManicaPost
Terrence Mwedzi
Post Correspondent
THE South African government should put in place tight measures to protect foreign truck drivers — Zimbabwean drivers included — from violence, intimidation and harassment on their country’s highways.
It is worrisome and disheartening to realise that dozens of people — mostly foreign truck drivers — have been killed since 2015.
It is believed that groups of ruthless thugs claiming to be South Africans are now capable of throwing petrol bombs and stones as they harass foreign truck drivers in an effort to force them out of the trucking industry.
In this day and age, how can a sane person attack another in such a manner?
My million dollar question is who is pushing those hooligans to torch the heavy vehicles on the major highways? What is the secret behind these unending attacks?
Some truck drivers have even lost their jobs despite possessing all the requisite official documents.
South Africa has since issued a “National action plan to combat xenophobia” and the country must be applauded for that.
But as a concerned person, I urge the ANC-led government to look deeper into this matter and come up with solutions to the issue.
I think the SA hooligans are going too far with the xenophobic acts, their actions are barbaric and unacceptable. It is not a crime to be a foreigner.
This is uncalled for, a reason why I am calling upon the SA government to act swiftly before it is too late. Action is needed as soon as possible.
Recently, a Zimbabwean truck driver (name withheld) who has been working in South Africa for the past 12 years appeared in a South African newspaper complaining about the ongoing attacks on foreign truck drivers on the major roads.
He stated that he is living in fear. Many transporters have lost contracts because their vehicles were reduced to shells.
The burning of trucks and attacks on foreign drivers is a major cause of concern as we have lost many innocent souls due to this.
This is now a crisis and President Cyril Ramaphosa should sit down with other regional leaders and map a way forward.
Sadly and unbeknownst to the hooligans, the cross-border drivers are contributing immensely to the growth of South Africa’s economy, especially those facilitating exportation of our locally produced goods.
These meaningless, senseless and baseless attacks are not good for everyone. They contribute nothing to the economies of Zimbabwe and South.
I also urge truck drivers in the Sadc region to come forward to solve these challenges.
South Africa should act to combat the attacks against foreign truck drivers.
Terrence Mwedzi is a writer and poet. He can be contacted on: +27611370088. Email:[email protected]
