Attacks on foreign truck drivers continue in South Africa as the ATDF-pioneered mission to remove them from their jobs carry on.
Truck drivers originating from neighbouring countries have for the past six years endured attacks from a group of South African truck drivers led by the ATDF who claim that the migrants are stealing their jobs.
In the most recent attack captured on video, which has gone viral online, an immigrant truck driver believed to be originally from Malawi, was attacked by unknown assailants.
He was forced to call his employer telling him that he is not allowed to drive his truck.
As he talks on the cellphone, one of his assailants slaps him in the face.
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The driver is completely dehumanised as his assailants continue to randomly slap him while he speaks to his employer.
Questions have been raised on social media platforms on how exactly such actions are expected to help the case of the South African truck drivers.
Given that the foreign trucker was given a job it does not make sense attacking him. Jobs will not be created or offered by the immigrant truck driver but the employer hence it’s senseless to attack the driver.
Others have asked if there is any driver who is employed to this date after violently removing an immigrant truck driver from his job.
“It’s pure cowardice and hate against fellow Africans, after assaulting him you remain unemployed, ” read one comment.
One user claiming to be a South African commented,
“Bafethu this is so wrong!! Wenzeni nje lomntwana wabantu eseshawa? Its enough to stop and block the truck, but it’s between him and his boss to discuss the situation not these villlians who are beating him. So manje abafowethu see the need to assault him? Why do Black people hate their own in this manner.? This is the father and probably a husband. How would his children and wife feel seeing him being slapped in this manner as if he commited crime?? There is no way that any person can justify this barbaric behavior!! The fact that he cooperated and did as he was told, so why hitting him? This is not right!! Blocking trucks is enough but assaulting the drivers is something else and soon they will start robbing all these drivers of their belongings. There is an element of criminality in what these guys are doing to this man. Hitting him and swearing him with his mom, yoh madoda khuzekani maan. I feel embarrassed nje ngalento eyenzeka kulo bhuti. Wherever he is, May God and his ancestors give him strength! May God bless the brother and punish these devils and barbarians who assaulted him.”
While high unemployment rate contributes to an extent to social disruption, the hostility and bitterness levelled against foreign truck drivers in the country manifests hate of fellow Africans more than just a struggle.
Indeed, the struggle is real, there are not enough jobs for citizens but attacking an immigrant truck driver because he has a job is cowardly and cruel. The man did not hire himself, he was given a job.
The frequency of these attacks is not easy to ascertain as foreign truck drivers are reluctant to approach the police when they are attacked because they believe no one will be arrested.
Instead of reporting the attacks to the police, a number of them have returned to their home countries.
