Coal-catastrophe on R554
Traffic was disrupted as motorists were threatened and the road was systemically closed off by protestors
The winter months in South Africa are sometimes known as ‘strike season’ due to the inevitable number of labour disputes that occur most years, and this year has been no different.
On June 22, a protest lead to coal being tipped onto the road just after the old El Paso nightclub, close to Legends Logistics.
Traffic was disrupted as motorists were threatened and the road was systemically closed off by protestors.
“People from KwaZulu-Natal came to the area looking for work. When the surrounding communities, who support us, caught news of this – the strike started. It was, however, not Legends Logistics workers striking,” explained the owner of Legends Logistics.
“I drove past there early in the morning,” said Rentia le Roux, “I thought they were going to tip the coal directly onto my car! They didn’t care about oncoming traffic, or whether the coal would damage any innocent vehicles on that route. People were stood alongside the road, cheering on the protestors who were tipping out trucks and generally running amok. I was terrified that they’d stop my car or something, but luckily I managed to pass no worse for wear. My car has a few scratches, but nothing compared to the damage some people suffered.”
The road has since been cleared, and the protestors dispersed.
