Truck hijackings are expected to soar as South Africa’s cost of food and fuel continues to increase, according to the Road Freight Association (RFA), which said its data has revealed that investors are skeptical to invest in the country because of high levels of crime.
This after Police Minister Bheki Cele released crime statistics for the fourth quarter last week that pointed to a 31.4% rise truck hijackings. In December 2021, a police officer and metro police official handed themselves over to the authorities after they were linked to allegedly hijacking a truck.
The RFA said as the cost of living continues to rise, there are fears that truck hijackings could spiral out of control, noting that companies are now spending too much on hiring private security to deal with looting.
Last week, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy published new fuel price adjustments for June that showed a hefty increase for both petrol and diesel. This has added pressure on motorists and consumers who have to pay more to fill their tanks.
Gavin Kelly, the association’s CEO, said as a result, some truck operators are operating at a loss. “Everyone is beginning to get tired of the adage that South Africans will have to dig deeper into their pockets, but some South Africans and some transport companies have nothing left,” said Kelly.
“Road freight operators have been carrying themselves for almost two years with the various challenges that have come in forms of protests, strikes, violence and looting, pandemics, and now supply chain shortages and cost increases induced by a myriad of geo-political events.”
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