Four truck drivers killed in Polokwane report false

Reports circulating on social media from Sunday afternoon that four drivers were murdered in Polokwane which resulted in cross border drivers closing the Beitbridge border are not true.

Some media organizations fell to the fake news spread through a video recorded at the busy border post as drivers protested against the snail pace in which SARS has been processing trucks leaving South Africa.

The video went viral on social media as it dragged ATDF into the matter accusing the organization of having killed four Zimbabwean drivers in Polokwane. Claims which have since been proved as false.

SA Trucker spoke to a senior police official in Polokwane who denied any knowledge of the matter. Such a heinous crime would have been reported by now if it was true, he said.

Zimbabweans Citizens Coalition of South Africa (ZICCOSA) an organization standing for the rights of Zimbabweans in South Africa, got in touch and offered this explanation.

The organization’s media liaison officer Tafi Muzarugwi who is a cross border driver himself, was at the scene.

“It is not true that four drivers have been killed in Polokwane. When the drivers were demonstrating against the delay by SARS to process the CN1 and CN2 forms that rumour just filtered in but none of the people had tangible proof that it happened,” said Muzarugwi.

“The protest was never about the attacks on drivers as it’s being reported on social media, according to our knowledge there was no case of violence on drivers reported today. We have since met with the SARS officials about the delays and the queue is moving again,” Muzarugwi added.

He appealed to drivers to share information responsibly especially during this time when relations between South African and immigrant drivers are not at their best.