TRAFFIC chiefs who keep quiet about corrupt activities by officers came under fire in East London yesterday from deputy transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga.
She said while members of the South African Police Services were doing their part in arresting and ensuring conviction of their own members this was not the case with traffic officials.
“In the SAPS we hear of deliberate actions taken against police officers who involve themselves in crimes and face the full might of the law.
“But in traffic management where these crimes are rampant, we don’t even hear of a single arrest,” Chikunga said. The deputy minister was addressing the annual traffic chiefs’ summit to discuss how to cut down the carnage on our roads.
The summit comes a day after 14 cars collided on the N2 between Fort Jackson and Berlin in dense smoke from burning refuse at Buffalo City Metro’s Roundhill waste facility.
About 400 traffic officers, including provincial transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu and Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) acting chief executive Gilberto Martins, attended.
The International Convention Centre’s auditorium fell silent when an emotional Chikunga said a national scientific survey showed that traffic officers were the most likely people to be corrupt.
Chikunga said there were officers who refused promotion preferring to be on the road to continue corrupt practices.
“It is appalling that we get reports of both senior and junior traffic officers who arrive at accident scenes where fatalities are reported and instead of effecting an arrest, the officer drives the offender to the nearest ATM to withdraw money,” said Chikunga.
She said the two-day summit should come up with solutions with the help of the crime intelligence unit to root out these officers.
Martins said the RTMC welcomed Chikunga’s remarks.
Chikunga said the province should learn from others who had managed to cut the number of road fatalities. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Bribery rife among traffic officers
She said while members of the South African Police Services were doing their part in arresting and ensuring conviction of their own members this was not the case with traffic officials.
“In the SAPS we hear of deliberate actions taken against police officers who involve themselves in crimes and face the full might of the law.
“But in traffic management where these crimes are rampant, we don’t even hear of a single arrest,” Chikunga said. The deputy minister was addressing the annual traffic chiefs’ summit to discuss how to cut down the carnage on our roads.
The summit comes a day after 14 cars collided on the N2 between Fort Jackson and Berlin in dense smoke from burning refuse at Buffalo City Metro’s Roundhill waste facility.
About 400 traffic officers, including provincial transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu and Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) acting chief executive Gilberto Martins, attended.
The International Convention Centre’s auditorium fell silent when an emotional Chikunga said a national scientific survey showed that traffic officers were the most likely people to be corrupt.
Chikunga said there were officers who refused promotion preferring to be on the road to continue corrupt practices.
“It is appalling that we get reports of both senior and junior traffic officers who arrive at accident scenes where fatalities are reported and instead of effecting an arrest, the officer drives the offender to the nearest ATM to withdraw money,” said Chikunga.
She said the two-day summit should come up with solutions with the help of the crime intelligence unit to root out these officers.
Martins said the RTMC welcomed Chikunga’s remarks.
Chikunga said the province should learn from others who had managed to cut the number of road fatalities. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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