Zambia warns truck drivers not to travel to S/Africa next week

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Zambia warns truck drivers not to travel to S/Africa next week

7:23 CAT | 29 Aug 2019

Zambia on Thursday issued a travel advisory warning its citizens in the trucking business to avoid travelling to South Africa on 2 September amid threats of violence here.

Issuing the advisory, Zambian high commission official 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,” Nyawali said.

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 2 September.

The notices also warned that “no foreign truck drivers would be allowed to drive across South Africa,” APA has learnt.

“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,” Nyawali said.

“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,” she added.

Disturbing news coming from South Africa says South Africans are planning on demonstrating against foreign truck drivers in South Africa. A video is circulating on social media of a man announcing the protest that has been slated for 2 September 2019. pic.twitter.com/3DH7V6Wi15

— isiah moyo (@IsiahMoyo) August 28, 2019

South Africa: Groups of people claiming to be South African truck drivers have thrown gasoline bombs at trucks and shot at, stoned, stabbed, and harassed foreign truck drivers to force them out of the trucking industry. https://t.co/WJTdyzqIPF pic.twitter.com/DRR6t0yQge

— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) August 26, 2019