Deadly xenophobic attacks against truck drivers in South Africa

Human Rights Watch has 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.

The organisation has reported that people claiming to be South African truck drivers have thrown gasoline bombs at trucks and shot at, stoned, stabbed, and harassed foreign truck drivers to force them out of the trucking industry.

"South African authorities should urgently intervene to stop the unlawful, unprovoked, and violent attacks and harassment of foreign truck drivers and bring the perpetrators to justice," said Dewa Mavhinga, southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "Any problems in the trucking industry, including undocumented drivers, are for the relevant authorities to address, and there is no defense to groups committing such violent, horrific crimes."

Last week a post that circulated on social media urged South Africans to stop any foreign truck from moving within the country from the 2nd of September.

The circular said the protest will be staged over the unfair employment of foreigners by local companies and the ill treatment of drivers by employers.

South Africa has been boiling with xenophobic undertones in the recent weeks after foreigners clashed with police in the Johannesburg CBD resulting in a government crackdown on illegal foreigners.