Cape Town – Traffic is heavily backed up on the N1 after two trucks were set alight on the N1 towards Paarl in the early hours of the morning.
The two trucks were torched around 01h45 but by 08h30 the truck wreckages were still on the road.
Motorists have been advised to make use of alternative routes.
Commenting on the incident that occurred between the Klipheuwel and Klapmuts off-ramp near the Engen garage, Western Cape Traffic chief Kenny Africa said the road is still being cleared.
Cape Town – N1 Outbound (Update): #TruckDriverStrike
ROAD CLOSED at the R304 Klipheuwel Road exit pic.twitter.com/nfKMrOl3G0
— Rob Beezy (@TrafficSA) July 8, 2020
He advised motorists to use the R304, which leads to the R101 and then drive on the R44.
Both the N7 and N1 were affected by protests yesterday after a nationwide call for truck drivers to stop operating to protest the employment of foreign drivers.
The truck drivers also threatened to shut down the whole country.
Read also: Government should takeover closing logistics companies and start BEE owner driver companies
The truck drivers claim South African companies choose to employ foreign nationals for lower wages, who they claim makeup about 90% of the workforce.
All Truck Drivers Forum (ATDF) spokesperson Michael Masimini says employers are contravening the Employment Services and Immigrant Act while thousands of South Africans have no work.
Overnight, the truck driver strike led to the burning of trucks in other provinces including KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces. Open tweet to see all provinces.
Truck driver strike 08/07/2020 morning update
KwaZulu-Natal
– Trucks burnt on N2 between Empangeni and the Engen One Stop
– Truck burnt on N3 at Nottingham road
– trucks blocking M25 KwaMashu Highway
– Truck blocking N2/M4 split pic.twitter.com/XHo4KSw2zR— SA Trucker (@rsa_trucker) July 8, 2020
