On Saturday, February 13 we drove back from a visit to the Weenen Nature Reserve along the R74 returning to Estcourt. In the township on that road we were confronted by a road block made of large rocks lined up across both carriageways.

Our host and driver managed to drive over those rocks only to find, about half a kilometre down the road, another such roadblock made of even larger rocks.

There were two groups of about four persons on either side of the road. They made their way towards us as we approached the barrier.
Again our driver chose to keep moving, and just in time, saw that the barrier had not yet been completed. By swerving through a narrow gap, we succeeded in escaping being stopped by the barricade.

As we entered Estcourt we saw a traffic department vehicle in the traffic. At the next traffic lights we were able to draw up alongside and request the officer driving to please draw over and speak to us. We reported what we had just been through. The officer was at first rather amused by what we described, but did rather reluctantly undertake to report the matter to the police. It was dusk on a Saturday night, there were taxis travelling in both directions on that road, full of people, presumably going home from work or into town for an evening out.

I can’t avoid the conclusion that people were being stopped to be robbed. And I can’t avoid thinking that we were very fortunate to be in such competent company that we were enabled to escape without being forced to stop. I write to you of this incident to warn others against the dangers of travelling on that road in that vicinity in the dusk and early evening.

I have written also to the police to ask if the matter was reported as we requested. I will also write to the Emzemvelo office at Weenen Nature Reserve to suggest that they warn visitors to the area about keeping safe and not travelling at the end of the day.
We were fortunate visitors, I can’t imagine how the taxi customers fared that night.

Sharyn West
Ifafa Beach