Five trucks were torched on the N4 highway near Machardodorp in Mpumalanga on Sunday evening, the South African Police Service (SAPS) reported.
Of the five trucks, four were going uphill from Mbombela towards Machardodorp, while the fifth was travelling in the opposite direction, towards Mbombela.
The torching came on the heels of another incident where six trucks were destroyed on the Van Reenen’s Pass in KwaZulu-Natal, also during the weekend, by a gang of unidentified armed men who reportedly forced the truck drivers to stop their trucks.
The gang set all six trucks alight causing the road to be closed to traffic. No injuries were reported.
Northbound traffic, heading to Johannesburg, was stopped at Tugela Plaza, while southbound traffic, heading to Durban, was stacked at the top of Van Reenen’s Pass.
According to information received by SAPS in connection with the Mpumalanga incident, it is alleged that two vehicles, a light delivery vehicle and a sedan with five occupants stopped the trucks, instructed the drivers to take their personal belongings before setting the trucks on fire.
The motive behind the mayhem is also unclear at this stage. Police have since launched an investigation into this incident of malicious damage to properties.
Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has strongly condemned the outrageous behaviour of lawlessness displayed.
