From paying legal fees for incarcerated members to paying for the administration and the leaders of the organisation, the All Trucker Driver Foundation (ATDF) has relied heavily on ‘donations’ from South African truck drivers.
ATDF has been advocating for all foreign truck drivers to be removed from their jobs and be replaced by South African citizens.
Failure of the government to comply with their demands has led to violence which saw several trucks being torched allegedly by ATDF members.
Five ATDF members are lamenting in prison after they were arrested for charges relating to the burning of trucks on the N3 in Estcourt last year.
The five were charged with attempted murder, extortion, and malicious damage to property.
ATDF mentioned truck drivers from the below-mentioned trucking companies as sponsors of the organisation while thanking them for their donations, some of which they say has been used to pay for the jailed members’ legal fees.
- Super Group Freight
- African Sugar Logistics (ASL)
- Bakers Transport
- Willowton Logistics
- Timelink Cargo
- Renwood Carriers
- Motorvia
- Grindrod Logistics
- Wardens Cartage
This was revealed in a recent statement by the organisation in which ATDF secretary-general Sfiso Nyathi thanks sponsors for keeping the organisation alive with their donations.
“Thank you so much our fellow South African citizen. We pay lawyers for our fellow comrades who were arrested a year ago, their sin is because they are ATDF members,” read part of the statement.
Asked if membership subscriptions were deducted from employees’ wages, Nyathi said, “truck drivers collect donations amongst themselves and forward it to the organisation.”
Nyathi also denied allegations that trucking companies were ‘donating’ to his organisation to avoid being targetted, this after being asked about rumours on social media that companies were paying for the group not to target them.
Truck strike
Nyathi said that even though they did not organise the strike, they were not happy with the government’s response which he says has never changed from the first time they engaged.
“It’s promise after promise but nothing ever materialises, as ATDF we will keep on fighting for fully qualified truck drivers who are sitting at home while foreigners take their jobs to get their jobs back,” he said.
Nyathi refused to be drawn into revealing ATDF’s plans to ensure they achieve its goals.
