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Johannesburg. — Twelve truck drivers are due to appear at the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court, in KZN, today in relation to the N3 Van Reenen’s Pass road blockades which took place last Friday.
This comes after numerous trucks were parked across the N3 blocking both carriageways.
It is believed that the blockade started at approximately 3am.
According to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson, Jay Naicker, the arrested truckers allegedly parked their trucks on the road.
Naicker said the drivers then alighted from their trucks, causing traffic to come to a standstill for the entire day.
He said that the arrested drivers had taken the keys of some of the trucks rendering them immovable for a long period of time.
Naicker said members of the SAPS, N3 Toll Concession, and Road Traffic Inspectorate responded and began the process of moving the vehicles that were blocking the N3.
“Various specialised units from throughout the province were mobilised and also assisted in getting the trucks moved out of the road which resulted in traffic beginning to flow.
“Twelve truck drivers, whose vehicles were obstructing the flow of traffic and who defied instructions by police officials to remove their trucks were subsequently arrested,” he said.
Naicker said detectives from the provincial investigative unit took charge of the investigation on the scene.
He added that the drivers were charged for contravention of the Criminal Law Amendment Act — Infrastructure contravention, Intimidation, Economic Sabotage as well as contravention of the Road Traffic Act.
“The suspects will appear in the Ladysmith Magistrates Court tomorrow (Monday),” he said yesterday. — The Witness
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