While the transportation corridors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have become incredibly dangerous for cross-border truck drivers, there is currently no verified mainstream news or official report confirming that a South African truck driver was attacked and had their ears cut off.
This specific claim may be an unverified rumor or a sensationalized post circulating on social media. However, the background context of why such rumors gain traction is rooted in very real, brutal security crises on these routes.
The Reality of the DRC Transit Corridor Crisis
Foreign truck drivers operating along the vital Copperbelt routes (such as the N39/N1 road linking mining areas like Kolwezi and Lubumbashi to the Zambian border at Kasumbalesa) face extreme, life-threatening conditions:
- Brutal Attacks and Killings: There are numerous verified reports of foreign truck drivers (predominantly Zambian and Tanzanian) being hijacked, kidnapped, or killed by armed criminals and copper thieves.
- Driver Boycotts: In mid-2026, the United Truck Drivers and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (UTDAWUZ) and other regional bodies actively called for a total boycott of DRC-bound cargo routes. This came in response to several drivers going missing, trucks being ransacked, and a lack of security guarantees from Congolese authorities.
- Severe Extortion and Delays: Drivers frequently report being stuck in massive, stationary queues for days where they are exposed to armed robbers, local gangs, and corrupt officials demanding constant bribes.
