The destruction of the South African economy continues with two more trucks being set on fire early this morning on the N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo.

In Middelburg, where thousands of trucks transport coal daily, there are fears that the arson may spread here.

The destruction has already taken place across almost all the provinces, with Limpopo also hit over the weekend when two trucks were set on fire. On Sunday night, five trucks were set on fire on the N4 between Belfast and Nelspruit and large-Scale destruction occurred in KwaZulu-Natal.

• In an unrelated incident, a building was damaged in a fire last night in Middelburg’s industrial area. Middelburg Observer journalists are on the scene to obtain more information. A house was also damaged in a devastating fire in town this week.

• Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has expressed grave concern about the torching of trucks on SA roads in recent weeks, spanning the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, with earlier incidents reported in Gauteng.

This is criminality that will not be tolerated. These criminals are committing an act of economic sabotage, which must attract the harshest penalties permissible in law. Our road network is the lifeblood of our economy and transports valuable cargo that keeps the wheels of our economy turning,” said Minister Chikunga.

“The ability of trucks to transport freight is an enabler of economic activity and trade with other markets, which is critical for our economy, as the road freight transports in excess of 80 per cent of all our cargo.” Minister Chikunga further elaborated.

The road traffic law enforcement authorities, working under the coordination of the Road Traffic Management Corporation, continue to work closely with other law enforcement authorities to maintain maximum vigilance and to bring perpetrators to book.

The government has also provided a platform of engagement for any party aggrieved by working conditions in the road freight industry, and progress is being made in addressing the issues on the table. The Ministry continues to work as part of the Inter-Ministerial Committee to address the challenges facing the sector.

“Behaviour by any party that is outside of that agreed framework will neither be condoned nor tolerated. We call upon law enforcement authorities to unleash the full might of the law in dealing with those who think they can sabotage our economy with impunity. We equally appeal to other road users and communities to work closely with law enforcement authorities and report suspicious conduct on our roads. We will not allow our roads to be used as an arena to commit crime,” concluded Minister Chikunga.