NATIONAL NEWS - Police are investigating a case of murder, attempted murder and malicious damage to property after a man was shot and killed, another one injured, and a truck set alight in Leondale, east of Johannesburg, on Monday evening.
According to police spokesperson Kay Makhubele, police responded to a crime scene near the N3 onramp towards Heidelberg, and found a truck and trailer on fire. Next to the truck was a man who was bleeding from gunshot wound.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.
Police found a second victim in the veld with gunshot and burn wounds to the upper body. This second victim, a 45-year-old male employee of a trucking company in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, was declared dead on the scene.
In another incident on Monday evening in Alberton, also east of Johannesburg, a truck driver reported that he was driving along Black Reef Road in Roodekop and as he turned into Galiled Road en route to the trucking company, he noticed three men in balaclavas appear from a Hyundai i20 with unknown registration numbers.
“The complainant reports that he jumped out of the truck and fled when the three men started firing shots at the truck. On his return, he found the truck on fire. The complainant escaped uninjured.”
A case of malicious damage to property has been opened for investigation.
Meanwhile in Vosloorus, a 27-year-old truck driver was travelling from Springs, Ekurhuleni, to a recycling company in Booysens, Johannesburg, when he was allegedly hijacked in Booysens.
The truck was set alight by unknown suspects near Extension 25 in Volsoorus. The driver managed to escape with no injuries.
Police are investigating a case of hijacking and malicious damage to property.
“A multi-disciplinary team has been deployed as part of the maximum resources mobilised by the province to urgently address the spike in attacks on trucks. To this end, five suspects were arrested for intimidation on Monday 23 November, after a group of about 40 people arrived at a freight company in Alberton, demanding jobs. It is reported that the group broke into a frenzy when one of the company seniors advanced to hand them application forms for employment,” said Makhubele.
Their court appearance is yet to be confirmed.
Number of burned trucks spikes
Following the torching of at least 20 trucks last Thursday and five trucks on Saturday night, more trucks were set alight on Monday night through to the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Trucks were reportedly set alight in Leondale, Germiston, and Vosloorus, with a truck driver shot before being burnt in his truck, according to SA Long Distance Truckers.
The Road Freight Association (RFA) has now called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene before citizens “take the necessary steps” to protect their employees, assets, property and the sustainability of their businesses.
