OVER 100 Zambian truck drivers engaged by South African companies have lost their jobs due to the recent spate of xenophobic attacks in that country. Some companies have laid off the drivers because of the fear that their lives could be in danger while others have left voluntarily. This is according to Southern African Development Community Truck Drivers Association president Stanley Muluka.

Mr Muluka said in an interview yesterday that the drivers who have been laid off and are out on duty in other countries have been asked to take the trucks back to South Africa. He said most of the affected truck drivers used to work for Celtic Freight South Africa and Cargo to Congo.

“Others have been dismissed while others are just trying to avoid going back to South Africa because of what happened [xenophobic attacks],” Mr Muluka said. He said Celtic Freight South Africa even hired a Power Tools bus to transport the disengaged truck drivers back to Zambia.

One of the affected drivers, Henry Tembo, who used to work for Celtic Freight South Africa, said some Zambian drivers were retrenched because their employers felt they were not safe to continue working in South Africa. Mr Tembo said Celtic Freight South Africa management felt that if one of the Zambian drivers was killed in xenophobic attacks, the company’s operations would be adversely affected.

“We have been asked to be reporting at the Celtic office in Zambia every day for three months until our dues are paid. “The company wanted to pay us our dues but the workers’ union in South Africa said there are some new regulations which have to be followed before the case can be concluded,” he said. Mr Tembo said the company has promised to re-engage the Zambian workers when some of its trucks have been registered in Zambia. He said all what the affected drivers want is to get jobs in Zambia so that their security is guaranteed.

“Our lives are more important than work [in South Africa] and all we want is security. We are scared of driving trucks with GP [Gauteng Province of South Africa registration mark],” Mr Tembo said. Meanwhile, Celtic Zambia has closed operations in Zambia and has asked its clients to use alternative means of transporting their cargo to and from South Africa. The company has stopped transporting goods to and from South Africa because of security concerns in that country.

“Sadly after 23 years of deliveries to Zambia [and to South Africa], Celtic has no choice but to close all operations with immediate effect,” a mail written by operations manager Hetta Botha reads in part. Over the past few weeks, xenophobic attacks have been reported in South Africa and several foreigners from various African countries have been injured or killed in some instances.
The attacks have been widely condemned, forcing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to apologise during the funeral of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. President Ramaphosa has also sent envoys to selected African countries to state South Africa’s position and apologise for the attacks.