It is not clear what the motive behind the burning of the bakkie was, but it is believed to be associated with people who were protesting for jobs in the early hours of the morning.
The bakkie was alight on the corner of Seeke Street and Willie Ackerman Drive on Monday at about 11:00.
The 54-year-old technician from Telkom said he was driving behind a taxi, approaching a corner, and slowed down when five young men, who were sitting under a tree near the cemetery approached him.
“I thought there were going to the taxi in front of me when two of them asked me to get out of the car. I thought they were hijacking me, I got out as told and left the car idling. They poured petrol on the front seat and lit the car. They then fled towards the tall grass in the cemetery,” explained the driver of the bakkie.
The traumatised driver said it never crossed his mind that they were going to set the bakkie alight.
Fire engines came, but the front of the car had already burned.
Police were called to the scene, a case of malicious damage to property is being investigated and nobody has been arrested.
Mr Theo van Vuuren, Emalahleni administrator, commented when a group of job seekers were at Kusile on Wednesday, January 21 after hearing rumours that people were to be hired.
He said that chaos erupted when communities were falsely informed that Kusile is recruiting. He said job seekers were aggravated when they are turned away and a group capitalises on this to cause a riot.
Witbank Police reported that a group of 500 residents from Old Coronation and Klarinet protested against Kusile Power Station for not employing locals.
The group protested on Monday, January 26 at 05:00.
“The situation got out of hand when the protesters started blocking roads and throwing stones. Two foreign nationals’ shops were looted and set alight by the protesters. Witbank SAPS in cooperation with POPS are monitoring the situation. The situation is tense with possible treats of further protest against service delivery as well,” said a spokesperson for the police.
