Nine arrested as fuel-protest causes traffic chaos on N3 in KZN

Nine truck drivers were arrested on Wednesday morning for blockading the N3 outside Pietermaritzburg in protest against rising fuel prices.

Road Traffic Inspectorate spokesperson Superintendent Zinhle Mngomezulu told TimesLIVE that eight men and one woman were taken into custody before police cleared the blockade between Townhill and New England Road.

However‚ a blockade by tow truck drivers on the N2 near the EB Cloete offramp in Durban was still in progress.

“It is apparently about fuel prices too‚” said Mngomezulu.

She said the Higginson Highway in Chatsworth was also brought to a standstill by protesting truck drivers. However‚ it was cleared by 9am.

Community crime groups reported similar blockades by truck drivers on the M4 in Ballito and the R102 at Buffeldales in Tongaat.

Visvin Reddy‚ national convenor of People Against Petrol and Paraffin Increases‚ told TimesLIVE that his organisation was not responsible for the blockades.

“Our national shutdown is later this month. We did not want to do anything on Nelson Mandela’s birthday as we believe it is disrespectful.”

https://twitter.com/TrafficSA/status/1019461733168148480

#sapsKZN Truck drivers gathering this am at Midlands Mall causing traffic delays. N3 direction Pietermaritzburg closed at New England, Church Str, Liberty Mall and Townhill due to #ProtestAction. #SAPS & law enforcement deployed. ME pic.twitter.com/OwbWWAGtkt

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) July 18, 2018