South Africa Plagued by Truck Torchings With 107 Open Investigations Dating Back to 2018, KZN Premier Reveals

• Arson attacks on trucks have been a long-standing problem that has plagued South Africa
• KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube revealed that the police have been investigating 107 cases of truck torchings since 2018
• The attacks on trucks have recently picked up, with at least 19 trucks being set alight over the past four days

DURBAN - The recent spate of arson attacks on trucks has cast a spotlight on how endemic the problem is in South Africa.

According to KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the police have been investigating 107 criminal cases related to the torching of trucks since 2018, News24 reported.

Over the past week, at least 19 trucks have been set on fire in a coordinated attack with an allegedly unknown motive.

Nine trucks were torched in KZN and 10 others in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo collectively.

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Police link 12 people to truck arson attacks, 3 suspects have been arrested

While three arrests have been made in connection to the arson attacks, Police Minister Bheki Cele has indicated that there were 12 people of interest who are part of organised groups in Mpumalanga and KZN.

Several political leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, Transport Minister Sindiswa Chikunga and KZN Premier Dube-Ncube, have described the arson incidents as economic sabotage, IOL reported.

Dube-Ncube said:

"We firmly believe that the sooner the police make arrests, the sooner the message will be clear to all those who want to cause anarchy, that such has no space in our province."

South Africans shocked by number of open cases on truck torchings

Below are some comments:

@Cecilia24408201 slammed:

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2 People arrested in connection to the truck arson attacks in Mpumalanga, South Africans want to see suspects

"Since 2018... Are you and your comrades fully aware you are soon approaching 2024? Haibo."

@Waite10Robin asked:

"And the results?"

@CyberDelcapone

"Since Cyril took over, everything skyrocketed! Crime, food prices, inflation, corruption, usd/R, loadshedding, everything went up under Cyril. The torching of trucks is nothing new."

@MaqPaulM criticised:

"Zero prosecution!"

@ikoncoast questioned:

"Any arrests/ any convictions?"

Truck arsonist’s face revealed in viral dashcam footage of hijacking and attack on Mpumalanga N2 route

Earlier, Briefly News reported that one of the men participating in the recent attacks on trucks has been unmasked.

A shocking dashcam video captured the man hijacking and setting a truck on fire on the N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo on Wednesday morning, 12 July.

In the video posted on Twitter by Arrive Alive, the truck driver stops and speaks to the man on the side of the road before being forced out of the vehicle.

Source: Briefly News