KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu made a strong appeal to traffic officers to double their efforts during the upcoming festive season holidays and urged them not to accept bribes from transgressors.
Mchunu warned traffic officers that accepting a bribe is the worse form of crime and those traffic officers who are doing that are contributing to the increasing number of fatalities on the road.
He was addressing the graduation of 11 new traffic officer who have undergone training at the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) today, 6 December 2012 in Pietermarizburg.
The 11 new traffic officers were for a period of a year, studying a Diploma in Traffic Management and they have undergone intensive training. They are from various municipalities, Hibiscuss Coast, KwaDukuza and Ingwe municipality “I have always said that such conduct contributes directly to increased incidents of carnage on our roads precisely because failure to prosecute deviant behaviour amounts to promoting it.”
“So, yours is to never indulge in corrupt practices like bribery. You will be caught and you will pay the price. It has happened to others, and it can also happen to you. And that price would be the end of a challenging and rewarding career in traffic law enforcement.”
“I am confident, therefore, that these officers will be capable of fulfilling their duties because of the training that we have offered them. They are additional officers that will be able to further capacitate our ongoing attempts to make a difference in reducing and eradicating the carnage on our roads during this festive season and beyond through maximum visibility and strict enforcement of traffic laws” said Mchunu.
Recently Mchunu presented at the KZN Legislature a report indicating that more than 110 people are killed every month on provincial roads. Mchunu appealed to traffic officers not to join this profession as a last resort but because of a passion and desire to save lives on the road.
“Becoming a traffic officer should not be the last resort. We don’t want people attempt other careers first and when they fail they come to join us here. This is not a zama zama profession. This is not a dumping ground,” warned Mchunu.
On the same vein, as new officers have joined the Road Traffic Profession at a time when we are gearing up for the festive season, Mchunu edge them to be more visible and be harsh to transgressors.
Mchunu said he is pleased with the attitude of the Judiciary on cases of violating traffic rules. He said the case of a musician, Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye who sentenced to 25 for murdering school children, drag racing, driving under the influence, must be a lesson to all road users to obey the rule of law.
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