Hertta-Maria Amutenja
A Namibian truck driver who went missing in South Africa earlier this week and was suspected to be a victim of hijacking has been found safe.
The South African Police Services from Protea Glen Police Station found Vilho Panduleni Nyati, who drives a truck for Caribu Trading, at a service station in Soweto.
The spokesperson of the Namibian Police, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi confirmed the hijacking incident.
“This happened when the community in that area alerted the police that there was a man seeking assistance. So, the police alerted the embassy, and that’s how the police attaché got involved,” she said.
Shikwambi further mentioned that the Namibian Embassy in South Africa is managing all necessary paperwork to facilitate Nyati’s return to Namibia.
“The Namibian Embassy in South Africa is handling all the paperwork for him to be dispatched back to Namibia,” she added.
The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation’s Executive Director, Penda Naanda, stated that the ministry was aware of the report and that the police attaché at the mission was handling the incident.
The head of the Namibian Revolutionary Transport Union (Naretu), Petersen Kambinda, raised concerns regarding the safety of truck drivers.
He highlighted that most of the hijacked truck drivers are not registered with the union.
“The issue is that we have truck drivers that are not registered with the union, and it becomes difficult for the union to protect them. The employers tell their truck drivers to just find anywhere to park and sleep, like a service station. And this is where most of the hijackings occur,” said Kambinda.
Kambinda emphasized that the majority of companies targeted in hijackings do not offer toll-gate allowances to their truck drivers for safer sleeping arrangements at truck ports.
“If the truck drivers are members, we can negotiate for the employer to give them a toll-gate allowance for safer places to sleep,” he added.
Earlier this month, the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) warned the Namibian transport and logistics industry of the recent hijacking incidents targeting truck drivers in South Africa.
WBCG chief executive officer, Mbahupu Tjivikua, warned the drivers and urged them to be extra vigilant.
He was referring to another recent incident that took place on the N4 route around the Rustenburg and Mafikeng areas on the Trans Kalahari Corridor.
He warned travellers to and from South Africa to be on the lookout for hijackers, who are now targeting the entire truck and its consignment, putting truck drivers at high risk of assault or even death.
