Zambia’s High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, has advised Zambian truck drivers to avoid traveling to that country from September 2, onwards, as they face attacks from their SA counterparts who are fighting for better conditions of service.

And the High Commission has urged those drivers who will inevitably be in SA on September 2 to park their vehicles at a safe location as a security measure.

In a statement, Monday, first secretary for press and public relations at the commission Naomi Nyawali stated that the Zambia High Commission had observed with concern reports of some Zambian Truck Drivers being threatened with violence following a planed nation-wide work stoppage by South African Truck Drivers.

“According to the information made available to the Zambian Mission, some Zambian Truck Drivers have faced physical attacks and threats from their South African counterparts who are fighting for better conditions of services from their employers. So far, a notice from unidentified Association alleging to represent South Africa Truck Drivers have been issued calling for national wide work stoppage among South Africa drivers from 2nd September. It is with this background that the Mission would like to advise all Zambian Truck Drivers who are scheduled to travel to South Africa on the mentioned date not to do so until security is guaranteed,” stated Nyawali.

“The Mission would also want to advise Zambian Truck Drivers who will enter or would be working in South Africa on the 2nd of September 2019 to park their trucks in safe and secure designated places in order avoid loss of life and property. The Mission has in the past engaged Department of International Relations DIRCO on the safety of Zambian Truck drivers and assured the Mission of tight security Measures that the South African Government were putting in place.”

On August 26, the Human Rights Watch urged the South African government to take urgent measures to protect foreign national truck drivers from violence, intimidation, and harassment in the country’s cycle of xenophobic violence citing more than 200 people – mostly foreign truck drivers – who have been killed in that country since March 2018.