Pretoria – Zambia’s High Commission in Pretoria on Monday issued a travel advisory warning its citizens in the trucking business to avoid travelling to South Africa on September 2, amidst threats of violence.
The high commission’s Naomi Nyawali said reports have been received of some Zambian truck drivers being threatened with violence ahead of a planned nationwide work stoppage by their disgruntled South African counterparts.
“According to the information made available to the Zambian mission, some Zambian truck drivers have faced physical attacks and threats from their South African counterparts who are fighting for better conditions of services from their employers,” said Nyawali.
Notices doing the rounds on Twitter and WhatsApp from unidentified individuals purporting to be representing South Africa truck drivers have been calling for a nationwide wide work stoppage among South African drivers from September 2. The notices seen by African News Agency also warn that “no foreign truck drivers will be allowed to drive across South Africa”.
“It is with this background that [Zambia’s High Commission] would like to advise all Zambian truck drivers who are scheduled to travel to South Africa on the mentioned date not to do so until security is guaranteed,” said Nyawali.
“The mission would also want to advise Zambian Truck drivers who will enter or would be working in South Africa on the 2nd of September 2019 to park their trucks in safe and secure designated places in order avoid loss of life and property. The mission has in the past engaged [Pretoria’s] department of international relations on the safety of Zambian truck drivers, and [was] assured of tight security measures that the South African government was putting in place.”
African News Agency/ANA