Road freight industry counting the costs following trucks being burnt in KZN protests

The Road Freight Association says their members have lost millions of rands in the ongoing sporadic protests in KwaZulu-Natal.

Luxury vehicles that were being transported on fire:

[Earlier] Scenes at Mooi River plaza last night on the N3 where several trucks were torched. #sabcnews

Video supplied. pic.twitter.com/pavMIAficq

— Jayed-Leigh Paulse (@JayedLeigh) July 10, 2021

Several trucks have been burnt to ashes along the N3 highway in the province.

Clean up operations at Mooi River toll:

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The violence is linked to protests around the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma. The Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly says it’s unfortunate that truck drivers are being targeted.

Kelly on the losses to the trucking industry:

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“What does this mean to the economy? No, before we can go to the economy, what does this mean to drivers and their livelihoods? We are very concerned that our drivers are being targeted again for something that has nothing to do with road freight logistics. So, first of all, we have employees who could lose their work. As we have just heard with this operator looking at perhaps even closing down. We have operators who are losing millions in terms of not only their assets but in terms of their contracts and the goods on those vehicles because somebody has to pay for them.”

Clean up operations at Mooi River plaza:

The community of Mooi River have started stripping charred luxury vehicles for copper cables and scrap metal.The vehicles were torched amongst several trucks on the N3 in KZN as the #ShutdownKZN protestors call for the release of former President Jacob Zuma. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/G5V7mQzuc9

— Jayed-Leigh Paulse (@JayedLeigh) July 10, 2021