KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said truck drivers in the province have pledged that there will be no burning of trucks or blockading of roads.
Zikalala held emergency talks with key stakeholders in a bid to end the ongoing violence currently plaguing the road freight industry.
Zikalala said it’s vital the matter is resolved because it may have implications for the entire SADC region.
He said, “in principle, we agreed that the truck operators must with immediate effect prioritise the employment of South African drivers.”
“We will soon, together with the national government, mount an intensive operation along the N2, N3 and N11 routes in KwaZulu-Natal targeting drivers without proper permits.”
“Every foreign national who is currently driving a South African-registered truck must be appropriately licenced, and hold a valid permit issued by the Department of Home Affairs.”
“The Department of Home Affairs work permit is only issued upon offer of employment by the prospective employer in South Africa. In the meantime, the truck operators have committed to providing at least 400 new jobs, and these will prioritise South Africans.”
In Other News – Parliament has delayed Gender-based violence bills
Parliament has delayed by several months the adoption of gender-based violence laws that will tighten these bills in order to ensure their lawfulness will not be open to challenges in the Constitutional Court.
The justice committee had earmarked to finalise the three GBV bills by the end of the year, but it discovered there were provisions that could be open to a legal challenge. learn more
