From the Editor’s Desk
It’s been headline news around the country since April. I’m talking about the protest marches that have taken place in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and other areas under the banner of ‘March and March’, with the focus being the removal of illegal foreigners from South Africa. While these protests have largely been contained to the above-mentioned cities, a national shutdown is now the next step and takes place on May 30th – that’s tomorrow as you read this.
Up to now, trucks have not been widely disrupted, although daily schedules in the last-mile delivery sector were affected. Thankfully, no trucks were torched – at least none that we are aware of. But with the national shutdown scheduled for tomorrow, the long-haul trucking sector may once again find itself caught up in the action. This follows the decision by the All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa (ATDF-ASA) to join the shutdown in support of calls for the removal of illegal foreigners from South Africa. That now extends the protest action beyond city borders and onto national highways such as the N3, N1 and N2 – and that is cause for serious concern within the trucking sector.
In an SABC News interview, Gugu Sokhela, Secretary-General of the ATDF-ASA, confirmed there would be disruptions on the majority of the national routes. He also stated the disruptions would be “peaceful”. But herein lies the problem. The history of ATDF-ASA protest action includes incidents of violence, trucks being burnt and drivers’ lives being threatened. So, while the organisation’s leadership may call for peaceful protest, the industry has reason to remain cautious. The same concern applies to the broader ‘March and March’ movement. Its leadership has also repeatedly called for peaceful demonstrations, yet events in Bloemfontein saw widespread looting alongside the protest action, resulting in the arrest of 140 people.
The difficulty with protests of this nature is that they can attract criminal opportunists who exploit the situation for their own purposes. Even Sokhela acknowledged this during the SABC interview, saying: “Sometimes there is that party element that will come in that space and do whatever is against the law.” Similarly, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, leader of the ‘March and March’ movement, distanced her organisation from the looting in Bloemfontein. Speaking to The Mercury, she said: “We don’t support that looting behaviour because it feeds exactly into the narrative of us being painted as vigilantes. The one thing we do not agree with is violence. That’s why we always keep our protests violence-free and we encourage that very much.” Yet despite these calls for restraint, violence and looting still occurred – and that is precisely what concerns the trucking industry.
No matter how sincere the leadership’s call for peaceful protest may be, South Africa has repeatedly seen criminal elements exploit protest action to create chaos. That is why transporters are on high alert ahead of the May 30 shutdown. The planned “peaceful” disruptions alone are enough to create major operational difficulties. Above and beyond that, transporters must also consider the risk of violence, intimidation and attacks on vehicles. As a result, contingency plans are already being implemented. One transporter told me they would move their usual Friday night deliveries onto the road earlier on Friday in an effort to reduce the number of trucks operating during the shutdown period. Alternative routes are also being considered, while schedules will be adjusted as conditions develop. Most transporters are likely doing the same. And this highlights the enormous pressure such shutdowns place on the industry. Trucking companies cannot simply stop operating. The cost of having trucks parked for even a single day would run into billions of rand across the economy. And this is where the Government must accept criticism.
Focusing specifically on the ATDF-ASA’s involvement, I contend the organisation would probably not be participating in this shutdown had Government followed through on the numerous commitments made during meetings held over the past eight years – particularly after trucks were burnt in Mooi River in 2018, and again during the torching of trucks on the N3 in July 2023. I am aware of the meetings that took place and the undertakings that were made. At one such meeting in Pretoria – attended by Government ministers, the Road Freight Association and several affected organisations including the ATDF-ASA – an 11-point action plan was developed.
But as Sokhela himself stated during the SABC interview: “We don’t see them bearing fruit.”
Importantly, what the ATDF-ASA has consistently called for is not for the Government to draft new legislation but rather for the enforcement of laws already on the statute books regarding illegal foreign drivers. And this remains a major point of frustration. Compounding matters further is the fact that several new ministers are now involved in the relevant portfolios, meaning much of the previous engagement process may effectively have to start from scratch. But before any of that can happen, the trucking industry must first get through another potentially volatile day on South Africa’s roads. FleetWatch understands that law enforcement and security agencies are on high alert to respond to any criminality that may arise. Our appeal to the ATDF-ASA, however, is simple: You have committed your organisation and your members to participate in the May 30th shutdown. We cannot stop that but what we can do is appeal to your members to please ensure that no trucks are burnt and no drivers are threatened. Do not allow criminal elements to hijack your actions for destructive purposes.
Commenting on the broader ‘March and March’ movement itself is another subject as there are many complex factors and competing viewpoints involved. However, when it comes to the impact on the trucking sector through the ATDF-ASA’s involvement in the national shutdown, what I have to say is this: Had Government followed through on past commitments, the ATDF-ASA may never have felt the need to join this shutdown in the first place. May 30th will come and go. But the real challenge is ensuring that the trucking industry – and the South African economy it supports – is not repeatedly dragged back into the same cycle of disruption, uncertainty and violence. There is a way out of this situation – but it depends on Government finally following through decisively on the promises and agreements already made. If that does not happen, this will happen again. And again. And each time, the logistics industry – and the country as a whole – will continue to carry the cost. That will only change when Government commitments become action. Be safe, and God bless you all.
Patrick O’Leary
Managing Editor, FleetWatch
