KABOKWENI – Two traffic officials have been suspended from duty following their arrest by the last week on allegations of fraud and corruption and defeating the ends of justice. It is believed that the officers may have been taking monies from some motorists during one of the operations that the department had conducted during the festive period. The officers have already appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Christmas eve and were granted bail of R1 500 each.
The MEC of the department, Mr Vusi Shongwe has welcomed the pair’s arrest, saying that the allegations against the two should be thoroughly investigated.
“We should not allow corruption because if we do, we will be nullifying the efforts that other hardworking traffic officers are doing to ensure that there is effective law enforcement on the road.
We cannot allow some few individuals with low levels of integrity to tarnish the image of our dedicated officers,” Shongwe said.
Shongwe further called on the traffic officers to continue working despite the arrests of their colleagues. He further called on the communities not to bribe law enforcers but to report any fraud or corruption to the police so that appropriate action can be taken against the perpetrators.
“We must rid our roads of stubborn motorists who are refusing to comply with the law and thereby placing other people’s lives at risk. We cannot continue to count the bodies because some people are continuously ignoring the law,” Shongwe said.
Meanwhile a motorist was arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers. This happened during an operation on the N4 Toll Road near Mbombela during a roadblock.
The suspect was arrested after he attempted to give R1 000 bribe to the officers who were issuing him with a fine for driving an unroadworthy vehicle. He was also fined for towing another vehicle while he was not registered to tow vehicles.
