Military, SSA working together to secure the N3 against further violence

The Department of Defence has confirmed that it will be securing strategic areas of the N3 highway, but despite continued security concerns, they will not be escorting individual fleets on the protest-targeted road, or divulging details of their plans for securing the route.

Department of Defence spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini confirmed that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been deployed on the N3. He could not, however, divulge any details on plans to prevent further attempts by protesters to block the economically strategic highway and cause destruction to private and public property.

The SANDF also confirmed its members were already stationed at strategic points to beef up security on the N3 and other hot spots.

“What we can say is that the members of the defence force are deployed in certain key areas, that is where we are deploying most of our services … We won’t be escorting anyone because there has been no agreement with transport stakeholders. We are offering our services in certain key places with increased visibility along with the police, we are present on the highway.”

SANDF spokesperson, General Mavi Mgobhozi.

Meanwhile, State Security Department says while beefing up security is the function of the law enforcement not state security, the department is playing an advisory role in the operations against looting and property destruction.

“Our role is to provide intelligence services to our clients – government – and in this case, to law-enforcement authorities,” said department spokesperson Mava Scott. “Details about such operational plans are not for members of the public or any third parties.”

Following weeks of violent protests which led to dozens of deaths in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, Deputy Minister of State Security Zizi Kodwa went on a tour of key areas in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, where communities were united to protect malls and small businesses from looting and vandalism by protesters, as witnessed in other parts of the country.

He addressed community members after visiting Thembokwezi Square and Site Plaza in Khayelitsha, as part of continued efforts by government to contain violent protests and vandalism.

“It was quite interesting to come to the Western Cape because there were no incidents reported and we came to really appreciate work done by communities to protect their own local economic infrastructure such as malls,” he said to journalists. “It was important to do so, so that even if there we no incidents it must never happen.”

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Kodwa also acknowledged that Khayelitsha continued to be plagued by taxi violence. He called on taxi associations to “build peace” and promised government would help if all stakeholders worked together to find an amicable solution to unrest in the taxi industry.

Trucks under threat

Recently, road freight industry bodies accused the government of not doing enough to protect trucks on the N3 highway, which has been the site of several attacks on freight vehicles during ongoing protests. Companies have been beefing up their own security in anticipation of continued threats of violence on the KZN-Gauteng freeway.

Recently, protests against the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma erupted on the streets and freeways in KwaZulu-Natal, before spreading to Gauteng. Over 35 trucks were burned at the Mooi River Toll Plaza on the N3 and people burned tyres and debris to block several roads, including parts of the important highway.

Mark Coetzee, head of sales for transport cooling technolgies at logistics multinational GEA Thermo King, said the company had been severely impacted by the protests and was still assessing the damage done to the company, as well as its clients whose trucks traverse the N3 highway.

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“We as GEA Thermo King are still part of essential services to most of the food manufacturing and food transportation industry, our Durban operations continued to operate with all staff working remotely and when required, staff would attend to customer breakdowns. Many of our customer operations have been severely damaged and destroyed and we are still assessing the true extent.”

Many of the company’s customers, who operate on the N3 route, have resumed operations with added security.

“As our technical staff are responsible for immediate support with regards to any breakdowns on the cooling units, our staff are available 24/7. We have fortunately not encountered any security issues.”

It is unclear how much this additional security will cost companies transporting goods on the highway. These additional costs are, however, likely to filter down to consumers in the form of higher prices for goods transported between KwaZulu-Natal.