Angry protesters who blocked the N2 between Pongola and Piet Retief on Friday threatened to burn a truck if it dared to pass through the blockade, a local businessman and representative of a community security group, NPG Safety, has told Freight News.
Local businessman, Albert Brink, who was one of the responders at the scene of the protest, which started at 4am, said the community had been protesting about an IFP local government election candidate list mix-up.
He said between 30 and 70 protesters had blocked the road to truck traffic, only granting access to cars.
Earlier, an industry insider had suggested to Freight News that the protest might have been instigated by the All Truck Drivers’ Forum (ATDF).
However, it seems that the protest was unrelated to the organisation’s call to reduce the number of locally employed foreign truck drivers.
Brink said the protest was politically motivated.
“The situation in Pongola is that there is fighting in the IFP regarding who was voted in as ward councillors.
“The person whose name was on the poster and ballot paper was not sworn in to the local council.
“The wrong person was sworn in.”
Brink said the candidate on the election poster and ballot, and the person who had been sworn in, shared the same surname.
“They blocked the N2 last year.
“This is the third time it has happened.
“They are demanding that the correct councillor gets put in place.
“They blocked the road with stones and branches and they were burning bushes and tyres.
“The N2 is a very important road for us in Pongola as it brings us business and food supplies. “We had one truck that approached the scene to come to Pongola where they told that driver that ‘if you come through here we will burn your truck’,” he said.
SA Police Service spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala, said that traffic flow had been restored by mid-morning.
IFP national spokesperson, Mkhulelo Hlengwa, the ATDF and the United Truck Drivers’ Association had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
He said it was unfortunate that the only way the community could demand dialogue was through disruptive public protests blocking the freeway.
