Fourteen people have been arrested by traffic officers during operations that took place in different routes of the province between Friday [17 March 2017] and Tuesday [21 March 2017]. Five of these offenders were arrested for drunk driving while the others were arrested for excessively speeding.
On Friday 17 March 2017, Jacques Louw was arrested driving 168 km/h on a 100 km/h zone on the N4 near Elandshoek and he appeared at the Ngodwana Magistrate Court and received a R1000 bail. He will appear again on 30 March 2017.
On Saturday, 18 March 2017, traffic officers arrested Sandile Mahlangu for over speeding and attempting to bribe a traffic officer with R200. Mahlangu was driving at 145 km/h on a 100 km/h on the N4 Toll Road near Ngodwana. Another driver, Hlabi Mahlangu was arrested on the same spot on the same day for exceeding the speed limit of 100 km/h by 188 km/h. Both drivers appeared at the Ngodwana Magistrate Court and received R1000 and R1500 bail respectively. They will appear again on 30 March 2017.
On the same day, five motorists were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in an operation that took place between 18:00-06:00 in Schoemansdal on R570 Road. Philangezwi Metiso, Bongani Nkosi, Thandanani Mbebe, Martin Lubisi and Richman Ndlovu appeared at the Boschfontein Periodical Court on the 20 March 2017. Metiso and Nkosi were both granted a R1500 bail each and the rest were granted free bail. All offenders will appear again in court on 22 June 2017.
On Sunday, 22 March 2017 Collins Mdluli and Petros Potgieter were arrested in Ngodwana on the N4 Road for exceeding the speed limit of 100 km/h by 154 km/h and 161 km/h respectively. Potgieter was released with a R1000 bail while Mdluli was released on free bail. Both of them will appear again at the Ngodwana Magistrate Court on 30 March 2017.
On March 21, 2017 four more motorists were arrested on the N4 Toll Road near Ngodwana for speeding and were charged with reckless driving. The offenders’ names are Solly Mhlongo who got a R3000 bail at Ngodwana Magistrate Court, Caswel Mnisi who was released on a R500 bail also at Ngodwana Magistrate Court, Thabiso Tiren who appeared at Nelspruit Magistrate Court and received a R2000 bail and Sabelo Mavimbela who was granted a R1500 bail at Ngodwana Magistrate Court.
Mhlongo was driving at 177 km/h at a 100 km/h zone, Mnisi at 146 km/h, Tiren at 168 km/h and Mavimbela at 143 km/h. All these motorists will appear on 30 March 2017 except for Tiren who appeared yesterday (22 March 2017) at the Nelspruit Magistrate Court.
Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Pat Ngomane has commended the traffic officers for the job well done adding that there were no major crashes during the long weekend due to heightened law enforcement visibility.
He added that the department will continue with its operations leading to Easter Holidays where there will be intensified visibility, campaigns and law enforcement activities.
Ngomane pleaded with motorist to refrain from reckless driver behavior that often leads to fatal crashes on the road. “What is also worrying is that all fourteen offenders were males and we are therefore appealing to our women drivers not to copy the recklessness that some male drivers display on our road putting other people’s lives at risk,” Ngomane added.
The MEC has further called on communities to report any bad driver behavior so that appropriate measures are taken. He explained that it is not only the responsibility of government to ensure that roads are used safely and that everybody has a role to play.
He has further made a call to people who use public transport not to agree to be transported in an unsafe manner saying they should speak out against reckless driving in order to save lives. An appeal was also made to public transport operators to ensure that their vehicles are not only roadworthy but that they instill responsible driver behavior in people that they employ.
Ends…
Issued by Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison
Enquiries: Joseph Mabuza
Mobile: 082 678 1450
E-mail: emabuza@mpg.gov.za