Protesters set truck and trailer on fire
A truck was set alight by community members of Skhila on Sunday night.
LYDENBURG – A truck was set alight by community members of Skhila on Sunday night.
According to Capt Alfred Moela, SAPS spokesman, several members of the community set tyres alight blocking the road to town in the process.
“The driver of a truck with two trailers loaded with timber saw the burning tyres, and, in an attempt to avoid the inferno, had no choice but to bring the truck to a standstill. The protesters forced him out of the truck after which they set fire to the cabin and the first trailer. They then fled, leaving the driver stranded next to the road.”
Mr Deon Broekman, local hazmat operator, extinguished the fire and managed to save the second trailer. “We had to close the road for several hours to clean up the scene. The truck was removed by Van Wettens Towing in Mbombela.”
Moela said the culprits were still at large, but that police were investigating the matter. In the meantime, a source told the newspaper that the culprits responsible for setting the vehicle alight, are allegedly members of a taxi association in town. “They want to prevent people from travelling to the mines using their own transport. They apparently want the sole contract to transport employees to their workplaces. Incidents have been reported in which other vehicles with three or more occupants have also been pulled over.”
The source said that these protest actions could be linked to those experienced in Burgersfort and Steelpoort.
