The South African government is attempting to crack down on the torching of vehicles on busy highways. 21 large trucks have been set on fire so far this week.
The arson occurs on the same day as the second anniversary of deadly countrywide riots that claimed more than 350 lives.
Despite similarities with the methods used, the government claims the lorry attacks are unrelated.
Investigators are closing up on 12 people who have been named as the instigators, according to Police Minister Bheki Cele.
“They’ve been identified by names, some of them by address and some of them by the cars they drive,” Mr Cele said on Wednesday.
Investigations are being conducted into a number of motives, including economic sabotage, robbery, and labor problems.
The police minister stated that soldiers had been sent to key locations where arson attacks had been recorded.
They constituted “economic sabotage,” according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, because the trucks were burned “on the main artery of our country.”
The arrest in 2021 was brought on by the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court, which fueled accusations that Zuma’s loyalists were attempting to topple South Africa’s fledgling democracy.