The bus allegedly targeted during the protest by the ATDF-ASA .
Image: South African Police Service
The All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa (ATDF-SA) has denied allegations that its members were involved in violent disruptions along the N3 near Bergville and has accused the South African Police Service (SAPS) of using live ammunition against demonstrators during what it describes as a peaceful protest.
The organisation was responding to the arrest of three individuals, including a national office bearer identified by the ATDF-SA as its secretary general, who were detained yesterday morning on allegations of public violence and inciting disruptions on the N3 southbound.
The organisation's protest was to demand for the removal of foreign nationals from the road freight industry, citing that these jobs should be reserved for South Africans.
In a statement, the ATDF-SA interim committee called for a full and transparent investigation into police conduct, claiming officers escalated a peaceful industrial action without provocation.
“The demonstration in question was entirely peaceful. There was absolutely no violence, destruction of property or intimidation taking place,” the committee said.
The ATDF-ASA secretary general was arrested amid allegations of police brutality during a peaceful demonstration on the N3.
Image: South African Police Service
According to the organisation, the action was a standard go-slow demonstration and traffic was moving normally without major disruptions.
The committee alleged that the situation only deteriorated when police arrived on the scene.
“Police immediately opened fire with live ammunition without justification, causing panic and forcing those present to flee for their lives,” the statement claimed.
The organisation further alleged that evidence of the incident could be seen on one of the trucks at the scene.
“The physical evidence of this excessive force can be seen directly on the trucks themselves, as one of the truck containers was left with bullet holes from the live rounds fired by SAPS,” the committee said.
However, KwaZulu-Natal police have presented a sharply different account of events.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said officers conducting patrols during the early hours of Saturday noticed traffic on the N3 slowing before eventually coming to a standstill.
Upon investigating, police allegedly found about 10 people stopping trucks on the highway.
“Realising the presence of police, the suspects fled into nearby bushes and abandoned a white Isuzu bakkie with all its doors open,” Netshiunda said.
Preliminary investigations linked the vehicle to a prominent ATDF-SA office bearer. Police said they recovered an ATDF-SA banner and stones from inside the abandoned bakkie.
While processing the scene, officers allegedly spotted a suspicious white VW Polo travelling on the N3 northbound. Police followed the vehicle and determined it had arrived to collect the owner of the abandoned bakkie.
The driver of the Polo, his passenger and the bakkie owner were subsequently arrested.
Netshiunda added that the owner of the bakkie could also be linked to the stoning of a bus near the N3 Colenso Interchange shortly before the arrests. Police said additional charges may be added as investigations continue.
The ATDF-SA, however, maintains that the three men were arrested only after tensions had subsided and they returned peacefully to retrieve the abandoned vehicle.
“By firing live ammunition into a peaceful gathering of South African truck drivers, the police heavily misused their power and placed the lives of innocent citizens in severe and unnecessary danger,” the committee said.
The allegations by the ATDF-SA have not been independently verified, and police had not publicly responded to the claims of live ammunition being used at the time of publication.
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