Pick n Pay chair Gareth Ackerman has urged the government to rethink the location of the Mooi River toll plaza, on the N3 between Durban and SA’s economic heartland of Johannesburg, that was shut down during the July riots.
The N3 is the main arterial route from Durban’s harbour to Gauteng.
Ackerman was speaking as Pick n Pay released half-year results that detailed almost a R1bn in lost sales due to the riots.
The violence and looting that swept through KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng came in the wake of former president Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment.
Multiple trucks were set on fire at the plaza, which is near a volatile area with high unemployment.
The closure during the riots also meant dairy farmers near the plaza that produce about a quarter of the country’s milk had to dump the product because they could not transport it.
Ackerman said that the government and business worked together well in increasing local production of goods but need to do so regarding preventing more riots.
“Government, like business, must also learn lessons from the July crisis. For example, we saw in July how the N3 highway is one of the country’s most vital arteries,” adding that another blockage needed to be avoided so as not to “cripple the country”.
Ackerman is not alone in his call, with some leaders wanting it rebuilt in an area that records fewer protests, the Road Freight Industry, which represents truckers confirmed.
Kwanalu, an agricultural union representing farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, has also called for the plaza to be moved.
The closure of the N3 in July threatened chickens with starvation as companies needed feed sent from grain silos near Johannesburg to KwaZulu-Natal farms. It also stopped medicines being sent from the port or warehouses in KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng hospitals.
Road Freight Industry chair Gavin Kelly said better policing and security is needed at the plaza and an automated payment system should be adopted, ensuring the continuous free flow of traffic.
Ackerman also called on the government and business to work together and for the government to be more transparent and consistent. “Policies and proposals issued by ministers should reflect what government has said it intends to do, without last-minute changes or surprises.”
He said that he hopes the Companies Act Amendment Bill will be a good example of consistency and transparency. The bill was approved by the cabinet last month and is open for public comment.
It requires that listed companies disclose the difference in ratio of the highest-paid employee to the lowest-paid 5% of workers to expose inequality and drive change. It also creates a difference between how listed companies and private companies are treated while companies are increasingly leaving the JSE citing onerous rules and reduced benefits.
“We must avoid those cases where ideology, poor liaison, lack of transparency or intransigence damage our economy, and erode trust.”
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