Arsonist caught on camera setting truck on fire in latest truck burning incident
South Africans woke up to yet another report of four trucks set on fire on Wednesday morning on the N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo.
Nelspruit police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, said three trucks were badly burned while one was only burned in the cabin.
He said one passenger, a woman, suffered burn wounds on her feet as she was allegedly asleep in one of the trucks. She was taken for medical help by the EMS vehicle.
It is alleged that people emerged from the grasses and approached the trucks with firearms and instructed the drivers to get out or otherwise they will burn them inside. [The drivers] then left and ran away.
“The trucks were then set alight,” said Mohlala.
He said one person has been arrested so far, and the police are continuing with their investigations. The motive for the attacks is unknown at the moment.
In KwaZulu-Natal, six trucks were burnt down on the N3 in Van Reenen’s Pass, two trucks were set alight while they waited in a queue along the N2 freeway at Canefields, between eNseleni and Empangeni on Monday night.
The number of trucks that have been destroyed in arson attacks in the past four days has increased to at least 20 – in five separate incidents in KZN, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo from Saturday.
The Anti Crime Security Unit (ACSU) on Wednesday morning issued out a dash-cam video showing a man, believed to be one of the arsonists setting one of the trucks on fire.
In the video, a truck driver is seen being told to get out of the truck. The alleged arsonist is seen entering the truck, and setting the cabin on fire.
Bester Mare, from ACSU, told the publication that the video is from one of the trucks that were torched on Wednesday morning.
According to the drivers, five men were involved and were using an old model white Toyota Corolla which was said to have fled in the direction of Piet Retief.
“One of the suspects was filmed while being in a truck cab. Should you sight the vehicle or the suspect please contact us on 072 236 7191 or the police,” he said.
Speaking to The Witness, Brigadier Mohlala said the police were not aware of the video, but asked that it be forwarded to them to assist with their investigations.
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A local publication, Sowetan reported in January 2019 that the soccer player Siyabonga Zulu got fired by Mamelodi Sundowns after missing his disciplinary hearing and going AWOL.
His sister, however, rubbished the claims and told the publication that his sangoma baby mama destroyed his soccer career by constantly showing up at his club to complain about him. This is after the TV show No Excuse Pay Papgeld camera crew arrived at his club looking for him to answer for his maintenance squabbles with his baby mama. Learn More
