A MOTORIST, who wishes to remain anonymous, is unhappy about a so-called roadblock which was held in Hart Avenue on January 30.
According to her the officers hid their vehicles on someone’s property and was not visible at all.
“I received a ticket and also overheard how the owner of that property asked the officers to remove their vehicle. They replied to him by saying; ‘A good day for you too’. On that same day, there was a roadblock on Swartkoppies Road from both directions near General Alberts Park. The officers there had vans and they were visible.
“I just want to know how is this right by law? I am not unhappy about the fine, but more about how the two officers broke laws according to me,” she said.
EMPD responded with the following:
“If I understood your complaint well, it can never be a roadblock where one vehicle and two officers are involved. This one can safely be termed a roadside check.
“Remember officers have the right to stop any vehicle at any time – even if there was no obvious offence committed. Officers in this regard are covered by both the National Road Traffic Act and the Criminal Procedure Act. A fully-fledged roadblock is applied to SAPS for it to be conducted.
“As for that the officers who were ‘hiding’, I wouldn’t be in a position to confirm that as I don’t know what their positioning was regarding enforcing the said stop sign. What the complainant terms hiding could be a strategic positioning by officers to enable them to see the vehicles failing to stop at the stop street,” said Wilfred Kgasago, Chief Supt and EMPD spokesperson.
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