28 February 2007
Premier Sibusiso Ndebele is a well-known road safety activist. As one of
South Africa's longest serving former Transport MECs, Ndebele personally
initiated several groundbreaking road safety campaigns which are now being
implemented provincially and nationally. Ndebele is still very passionate about
road safety and firmly believes that no one is above the law. However, within
the ambit of the law there are certain instances when certain categories of
persons are exempt from certain provisions of the law.
Heads of State, Royalty as well as certain political functionaries worldwide
are exempt from certain provisions of traffic legislation due to the nature of
their duties. The security services in every country determine the security
risk of these incumbents. Through widely accepted protocols, minimum
requirements are set for the transport of these officials by road, rail, sea
and air as well as for the provision of escorts, both covert and visible or a
blend of both.
On certain occasions these escorts (cavalcades) are highly visible while on
other occasions it is adjusted to suit specific circumstances. The security
agencies determine the speed and composition of the convoys/cavalcades, the
route to be taken and other considerations which cannot be made public due to
security reasons. The officers/officials that make up the security detail are
highly professional and trained to a high level, including pursuit and
defensive driving.
In South Africa, the officials entrusted with the transport and security
responsibilities for the Premier/MECs are normally fully fledged members of the
South African Police Service (SAPS) VIP Protection Unit or qualified traffic
officers. Therefore, these SAPS members or traffic officers when transporting
the Premier or MECs are on official duty and fulfil all legal requirements of
the Road Traffic Act and therefore qualify for an exemption in respect of speed
limits, road signs and other provisions.
As such they are entitled to display blue lights or red in certain overseas
jurisdictions or a combination of both (blue and red) as is the case in the
United States. Furthermore, vehicles operated by these officials may also be
fitted with sounding devices as stated in the Road Traffic Act to be used at
the discretion of the escort team.
The Road Traffic Act requires that all drivers of all motor vehicles shall
pull off to the left and stop when becoming aware of the vehicle approaching
from the rear when the warning lights, which may include alternating flashing
lights or a sounding device, is in operation. This is not an optional response
but a compulsory response for all emergency vehicles including VIP escorts.
For further information, please contact:
Logan Maistry
Spokesperson to Premier Ndebele
Cell: 083 644 4050
E-mail: maistryl@premier.kzntl.gov.za
Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
28 February 2007
