Four trucks were set alight and a woman badly burned in the process, between Ermelo and Piet Retief this morning. The latest arson attacks come amid growing concerns that the incidents will contribute to the further destabilising of South Africa’s economy.

Twenty-one trucks had so far been torched in three provinces across the country. The attacks were all executed by armed men travelling in sedans or bakkies in groups of five or six.

In this morning’s attacks, a truck was pulled over at around 05:30 near the Sheepmoor turn-off on the N2 by five men in a white Toyota Corolla.

Bester Maree of ACSU Security in Ermelo says the driver was ordered out of the truck at gunpoint. One of the attackers then climbed in and moved the truck across the road before setting it alight.

Two additional trucks were torched and destroyed, while another was partially burnt, at the same intersection.

A woman, suspected to be a passenger in one of the trucks, sustained serious burn wounds to her legs and feet and was transported to hospital.

Maree has released a photo of one of the suspects and asks that anyone who recognises the man call him on 072 236 7191.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala says the motive for the attacks is still unknown, and police are investigating.

Other attacks

On Saturday night, six trucks were torched in a similar manner on Van Reenen’s Pass on the N3 in KZN.

The chief executive of the Road Freight Association, Gavin Kelly, told The Witness that the trucks’ cargo was not looted, ruling out robbery as a motive.

Lowvelder reported that five trucks were set alight on the N4 between Waterval Boven (Emgwenya) and Waterval Onder in Mpumalanga on Sunday night.

Mohlala said two vehicles, a Toyota Hilux and a sedan, had stopped the trucks on the road just before midnight, instructed the drivers to get out of their vehicles and then set them alight.

On Monday morning, three trucks were torched on the R574 Sekhukhune/Lydenburg Road in Limpopo.

Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said six men accosted a Scania truck driver en route to deliver chrome to a local mine. Two of the men, armed with firearms, instructed the driver to block the road with his truck and climb out through a window. The suspects then burnt the truck.

“Two more trucks that were driving behind were also burnt by the suspects, who later fled the scene,” Ledwaba’s statement read.

On Monday night, two more trucks were torched in KZN, this time on the N2 between eNseleni and Empangeni.

A meeting to discuss the attacks was held yesterday. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says a briefing about the police’s response to the attacks and their plans to bring the culprits to book will be held at noon.