Parsons Transport Operations has taken the fight to the ATDF with an urgent court application to interdict and prohibit the group and its leaders from:
- Threatening, intimidating, harassing or assaulting any of Parsons Transport Operations employees, clients or business associates;
- Damaging, looting, sabotaging or torching any of the Parsons Transport Operations property, including but not limited to trucks, horses, trailers, side tipper links, equipment, freight or payload; and
- Preventing the Parsons Transport Operations to conduct any of its transport functions or activities, including but not limited to the loading and off-loading of goods, payloads, chrome, freight, grain and other commodities.
Cited as respondents are the All Truck Drivers Foundation (ATDF), National Chairperson Bongani Steven Dhlamini, Secretary General Sifiso Nyathi, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Chairperson Manqoba Shozi and Siyabonga Petros Nkwini, a member of the ATDF.
The urgent application comes amidst an onslaught by the respondents on the applicant’s business.
ATDF members allegedly approached a driver of Parsons Transport truck on 14 September 2022 while loading at a customer in Richards Bay and told him that they will not allow any of the company’s trucks to load or deliver any goods or freight in South Africa unless the company accedes to their demands.
When the driver told them he was in no position to comply with their demands as he worked by the company’s instruction, they threatened him with violence before burning the truck, a Mercedes Benz Actros and a side tipper interlink. They also shot the driver eight times. The driver was taken to hospital after suffering severe injuries from the shooting.
Manqoba Shozi is wanted for questioning by the police for the burnt truck and attempted murder case in relation to the shooting as per a registered Richards Bay Case No. 231/09/2022.
The suspects threatened to cause further irreparable harm and damage to the company’s property and employees and business associates, in which they intend to prevent any freight or payload to be delivered or to be uploaded anywhere in South Africa unless the company is prepared to “negotiate” with them.
ATDF insists that Parsons Transport Operations should dismiss all its drivers who are citizens of Swaziland and replace them with local drivers.
The company is not prepared to accede to the unlawful and unreasonable demands of the ATDF.
Earlier this month, one of their drivers was shot and killed in a matter suspected to be related to the ongoing attacks by the ATDF.
Speaking to SA Trucker, ATDF Secretary General Sifiso Nyathi said they were not worried about the court interdict,
Parsons should just leave South Africa if they don’t want to comply with the law, he should fire all the foreigners and employ locals. We will make sure he does not operate
ATDF Secretary General Sifiso Nyathi
The ATDF and its leaders are scheduled to appear in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday morning 19 September at 10:00.
