KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested a national office bearer of the All Truck Drivers Forum South Africa (ATDFSA) along with two truck drivers following a series of alleged violent incidents and disruptions on the N3 highway near Bergville in the early hours of Saturday.

The arrests come after the group reportedly participated in or supported a planned shutdown of national roads as part of the ATDFSA campaign against undocumented workers in the transport sector.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, officers on routine patrol observed traffic on the N3 southbound slowing down before coming to a complete standstill.Upon investigation, they found a group of about 10 individuals allegedly stopping trucks on the highway.When police approached, the suspects fled into nearby bushes, leaving behind a white Isuzu bakkie with its doors open.Inside the vehicle, officers discovered an ATDFSA banner and several stones, suggesting possible involvement in violent activity.Further investigations linked the bakkie to a prominent ATDFSA office bearer.

While officers were still processing the scene, they observed a white Volkswagen Polo travelling on the N3 northbound, which they followed after suspecting it had been sent to collect the owner of the abandoned vehicle.The driver and passenger of the Polo, both identified as truck drivers, were arrested alongside the office bearer.Police also linked the bakkie owner to a separate incident involving the stoning of a bus at the Colenso interchange shortly before the arrest.Authorities have indicated that additional charges may still be added as investigations continue.

The incident has taken place against a backdrop of heightened tensions in the trucking industry, with police repeatedly warning against unlawful protests, violence, and disruptions on major transport routes in South Africa.