26th November 2020
Sello Motseta
Botswana’s truck drivers are apprehensive about the arbitrary plundering and assault of foreign truck drivers in South Africa as tensions over foreigners taking jobs from locals boil over with no apparent stalemate looming and diplomatic tensions rising.
Thulaganyo Segokgo, Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Communications, “The issue affects other SADC member states. We have channels we use to engage in such situations. Naturally we are concerned of the possibility of attacks on Batswana though we have not received any such reports yet.
He said, “We expect truck operators to take all the necessary precautions to protect health and safety of their drivers and we engage with the operators.”
Although no reports have yet emerged of Botswana truck drivers being attacked authorities in Botswana remain on high alert saying it is important to monitor the situation closely.
Botswana truck drivers in South Africa say they are not safe but their counterparts in Botswana are not harassed by locals. This is causing escalating animosity as foreign truck drivers believe South Africans who export a lot of their food and services to the region have more to lose if tensions escalate.
“If you drive a truck with South African registration they will attack your vehicle. There may even kill you. It is not fair. There are South African drivers driving trucks in Botswana with Botswana number plates but no one harasses them. They even able to deliver to filling stations,” said Tom Sebina, truck driver at Imperial Logistics.
He said, “We are not allowed to deliver to filling stations in South Africa. Unfortunately, Botswana does not have a strong union with its leaders subservient to employers.”
South African truck drivers are taking home a monthly income of about ZAR 15,000.00 to ZAR 20,000.00 whilst their local counterparts in Botswana pocket P6,000.00 to P7,000.00 monthly.
He has been working for 1 year 4 months at his current employer Imperial Logistics and complains about the lack of time he now has with his young family of 3 children since the inception of COVID-19.
“Every trip we are tested and hardly go home. We get tested and spend 10 days in quarantine than we are back on road after a two day interval,” observed Tom Sebina, a 47 year old father of 3.
An employee of Imperial Logistics he is looking increasingly nervous about the current shenanigans in South Africa and has previously worked with local fuel giant Unitrans for 10 years.
He slept at the border Tuesday alongside 45 other fuel trucks with carrying capacity of 67,000 liters.
