DA Sounds Alarm Over Freight Truck Crisis Amid Fatal Cradock Crash

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised urgent concerns about what it calls a “freight truck crisis” in Nxuba (formerly Cradock), pressing the national government to act before the situation worsens.

In a letter to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, DA MPL Heinrich Müller, the party’s spokesperson on Agriculture and Constituency Head for the Eastern Cape Midlands, outlined the mounting pressures on the town caused by a surge in heavy trucks along the N10 corridor.

Müller attributed the increase to the collapse of freight rail, which has pushed more cargo onto the roads, sending massive truck volumes through towns like Nxuba and Middelburg.

The consequences, he warned, are severe. Roads are deteriorating under overloaded vehicles, traffic congestion is stifling businesses, pedestrian safety is at risk, and overnight truck parking has become a magnet for petty crime.

“The neglect has already caused severe degradation of Nxuba’s infrastructure, undermining residents’ quality of life and damaging the area’s economic viability,” Müller said.

These concerns come just two days after a tragic crash in Nxuba, popularly known as Cradock, where four people died when their vehicle collided with a side tipper truck. The incident has reignited public debate over the dangers posed by increasing truck traffic through the town.

Despite repeated appeals to the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality and the provincial MEC for Roads and Transport, Xolile Nqatha, little meaningful action has been taken. In his letter, Müller urged a coordinated national response, calling for measures such as:

• A dedicated truck stop and parking facility outside Nxuba to relieve pressure inside town.
• Declaring the N10 a toll route to unlock national funds for road maintenance.
• Stronger by-law enforcement with fines ringfenced for upkeep.
• Revitalisation of the rail sector to reduce truck volumes while creating sustainable jobs.
• Stricter weighbridge operations and penalties for overloaded trucks.
• A road monitoring framework with quarterly assessments and community reporting.

Müller emphasised that these interventions would not only protect lives and infrastructure but also stimulate economic resilience in Cradock, Middelburg, and surrounding areas. “The present situation is unsustainable and calls for a balanced approach that safeguards public safety, protects infrastructure, and supports economic activity,” he wrote.

The DA is calling on Minister Creecy to confirm support for these measures and provide a clear timeline for implementation.