Mzansi remain vulnerable to threats contributed to the festival of lawlessness – Makashule

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South Africa remains vulnerable to security threats and social unrest due to uncaring politicians, these are the sentiments of Makashule Gana, RISE Mzansi Chief Organiser.

Five trucks were torched on the N4 in Waterval Boven. Truck drivers were attacked and robbed of their belongings on Sunday. The N4 toll road at Waterval Boven had to be closed for almost the whole day as workers cleaned the remains of the torched trucks, SABC reports. 

Gana says the torching of trucks across two provinces were deliberate, with not a single arrest made thus far.

“In a country with a capable state there would be a sense of and visible action when 13 trucks are torched in a space of two-days.

Statement by RISE Mzansi Chief Organiser, @Makashule Gana – South Africans remain vulnerable to security threats and social unrest due to uncaring politicians.

Read the full statement below ????????https://t.co/F0mFCcDO30#2024isour1994 pic.twitter.com/xH9gb0uPRl

— RISE Mzansi (@Rise_Mzansi) July 10, 2023

“The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, has done the usual public relations stunt of arriving on the scene to point and pontificate. Experience tells us that little will be done to bring those responsible for this to book. Instead of providing leadership, Minister Cele also used the opportunity to point fingers at his colleague Justice Minister, Ronald Lamola, for the lack of prosecutions in similar cases,” he expressed.

Gana further lashed at the Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, whom he says labelled the incidents as acts of “economic sabotage” but failed to do her job by providing leadership by addressing the issues of the trucking industry and the criminality that has become a common feature in the sector.

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He added, “The scenes of burning trucks on the country’s roads are reminiscent of the events that sparked the 2021 July Unrest, which wiped at least R50-billion from the country’s economy and resulted on the deaths of more than 300 people.

“To date, there has been little to no action in implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Expert Panel into the July 2021 Civil Unrest, meaning that South Africa and its people remain vulnerable to the threats that contributed to the festival of lawlessness two-years ago.”

On Monday, Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said police were still at the scene where five trucks were set alight on the N4 at about 1am on Sunday.

“We don’t know the motive. It is alleged that two vehicles came in and stopped those particular trucks, instructed the drivers to get out of the trucks and then they set the trucks alight,” Mohlala reportedly said.