It is indeed a great privilege for me to grace this occasion, when we showcase to all traffic law enforcement agencies of South Africa our own innovation to deal with lawlessness on our roads.
Before I proceed with my address, I would like to first express our sincere gratitude on behalf of the Eastern Cape Department of Transport for being chosen to host this important meeting of the national Law Enforcement Technical Committee under the leadership of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). It has been a great pleasure to host the heads of traffic from all nine provinces, the metros and municipal traffic authorities over the past two days.
This evening, as part of this committee’s tradition, we are going to showcase what you have been hearing us talking about in your meetings, national and international conferences, which are now regarded as the “best practice model” in traffic law enforcement.
When I joined this department in 2008, I introduced a roving 90 member special operations task team during the festive season of 2008/09 in an effort to bring law and order on our roads in this province. We further introduced young traffic recruits into the team in order to gain the necessary experience.
These new recruits had always demonstrated enthusiasm and determination when carrying out their duties in an effort to provide safe passage for all road users. Working together with the municipalities and the South African Police Service (SAPS), this team earned its reputation by excelling in drunken driving law enforcement.
Despite certain challenges, this task team, together with the entire traffic management directorate and officials from various law enforcement agencies in and outside the Eastern Cape, were able to reduce road accidents in this province by 30 percent during their pilot phase in the 2008/09 festive season. This prompted me to give an instruction for this task team to continue until the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Today I am proud to reveal that since the inception of this task team, the following has been achieved:
* 3 992 motorists were arrested for drunken driving
*33 466 summonses worth R16 548 880 were issued
*1 975 vehicles were suspended
* 212 government vehicles were confiscated because of misuse
This is a clear illustration of collaboration among law enforcement agencies, which we need to strengthen going forward. Tonight and throughout this weekend, we are going to see unity, multi-agency collaboration and determination in action when men and women work together in a special operation here in Buffalo City.
I would like to invite the members of the media to join us and show the people of South Africa and the world that we have adopted a zero tolerance approach against drunken driving on our roads and all other traffic law offences.
As the president had declared through his State of the Nation Address, this is going to be a year of action and our law enforcement agencies will be visible on our roads and save lives. As we are getting closer to the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, I am convinced that our officers are ready to respond to any challenge as they are charged with a responsibility to ensure that we have an accident free provincial road network through a “zero tolerance” approach.
I would like to call upon all the officers involved in this operation to adhere to the traffic officers’ oath, which you made when you joined this noble profession in which you promised to, amongst others:
* To serve mankind
* Enforce law courteously and appropriately without fear or favour, malice or ill will
* Always endeavour to make a contribution in the performance of your duties
* Recognise the badge of your 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 your chosen profession, law enforcement
Conclusion
Let us continue to build on this achievement and work together towards ensuring that we have an accident free road network through a multi-agency collaboration. It is when we work together as various spheres of government that we can be able to successfully combat lawlessness on our roads.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
19 February 2010
