A series of truck attacks in South Africa have raised concerns and intensified efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.
UPDATE: On Thursday, 13 July 2023, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola confirmed that two suspects, aged 27 and 29, respectively, were arrested in Mpumalanga, in connection with the recent spate of truck attacks. Both suspects will appear in court soon on charges related to malicious damage to property.
Truck attacks: ‘We will not have a repeat of July 2021 riots’ – Bheki Cele
Police Minister Bheki Cele has dismissed any connection between these incidents and the riots in July 2021, assuring the public that measures are being taken to prevent a repeat of the mayhem that occurred at that time.
The recent wave of truck burnings in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Mpumalanga, and Limpopo drew significant condemnation from Cele. At least 21 trucks have been torched, prompting the police to intensify their investigations.
Cele stated that they are actively pursuing 12 individuals of interest but clarified that they are not necessarily considered suspects at this stage.
Minister Cele’s spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, clarified on Talk Radio 702 that investigators working on the truck attacks have the 12 suspects’ names, addresses, and the vehicles they drive.
While acknowledging the two-year anniversary of the mass looting, arson, and destruction that claimed the lives of 354 people during the July 2021 unrest, Cele emphasized that there is currently no evidence linking the recent truck attacks to those events.
Cele expressed confidence in the intelligence gathered by the police, military, and state security, asserting that the necessary precautions have been taken to prevent a recurrence of the 2021 riots triggered by truck burnings.
WATCH: Truck attacker caught on camera
Still, truck drivers continue to work in fear and this video, captured by a driver’s dash cam, showed the harrowing moment he encountered one of the insurgents, in the wee hours of Wednesday, 12 July 2023.
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