Eastern Cape MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Ghishma Barry, officially bade farewell to the provincial traffic special operations task team yesterday.
Barry was addressing members of Eastern Cape law enforcement agencies, who participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup operations, including traffic officers, following good performance of their duties.
Since June 2010, a total of 175 task team members were deployed in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to reinforce the 39 Straundale based provincial traffic officers and more than 200 Nelson Mandela Bay Metro traffic officers.
During the tournament, these traffic law enforcement officers conducted various activities, which included reduction of delays through traffic control, escorting FIFA family, teams and sponsors to and from the airports, hotels, stadium and fan festivals.
During its tournament special operations, the task team arrested 421 people for drunken driving, including foreign nationals.
"The world cup was the last assignment for this task team, which has had a successful 20 months of extra ordinary operations that recorded a number of successes," said MEC Barry.
These successes include:
- arrest of more than 5 000 people for drunken driving
- issuing of 46 828 summonses worth R25 333 847
- suspension of 2 286 vehicles, including public transport vehicles
- confiscation of 220 misused government vehicles
She commended all members of this team for adhering to the traffic officers' oath, which they made when they joined this noble profession in which they promised t
- enforce law courteously and appropriately without fear or favour, malice or ill will
- always endeavour to make a contribution in the performance of their duties
- recognise the badge of their office as a symbol of public faith and accept it as a public trust to be held and be true to the ethics of the traffic police service
- constantly strive to achieve traffic police service objectives and ideals and dedicating yourselves before God to their chosen profession, law enforcement.
"On behalf of the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, I would like to say THANK YOU! You have made us proud!” said Barry.
Media contact:
Ncedo Kumbaca
Cell: 082 44 22 388
Source: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
