Durban — Police in KwaZulu-Natal have taken in nine people, believed to have been involved in the torching of trucks, for questioning.
This was revealed by Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube in a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday. The premier, who was accompanied by Education MEC Mbali Frazer, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma, and Human Settlements and Public Works MEC Sipho Nkosi, gave an update on the legislative meeting’s outcomes which was held on Wednesday.
The premier said the nine seized for questioning were all from KZN but was not sure whether they formed part of the 12 people of interest who were announced by Police Minister Bheki Cele in a briefing on Wednesday.
Cele had said among the 12 who had been identified as behind the torching of trucks was the mastermind who was the convener and co-ordinator of the group that planned the burning of trucks.
“The information we have received is that nine people were taken for questioning for their alleged involvement in the act, but more details including whether they have been arrested or charged, police will confirm later,” said the premier.
She added that as part of preventing further attacks, the army has been deployed, but would not reveal the exact figure of the personnel since it was a security matter.
So far 20 trucks have been torched, of which eight were in KZN.
On Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed that these criminals would be found and face the full might of the law for “economic sabotage”.
Dube-Ncube was at pains in responding to questions about why the government appeared to be failing to end the torchings on the province’s main highways, which had started in 2018.
She said it was not true that nothing was being done, arguing that police had been investigating 107 cases since 2018.
She added that in speeding up the prosecution, the province would engage the Department of Justice to create special courts for these cases and speed up the convictions so that others could see the government was serious about curbing the scourge.
On the construction mafia which is rife in the province, Nkosi defended his announcement that he would negotiate with the armed group of business forums that have forcefully taken various construction sites in the province, demanding 30% of the tender profits.
Nkosi said he was misquoted when people said he was going to negotiate with them and said he meant engaging with them. He insisted he would engage the business forums and educate them that 30% was negotiated during the tendering process, not when the work has begun on site. Nkosi received backlash from political parties and the public for his purported/alleged announcement that he would negotiate with people who were categorised as criminals. He was asked on what basis he would talk to these people who the government itself had categorised as criminals.
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