A loved guardian of the law: Thank you for your service, Wayne Minnaar

Old “spietkops”, you might say, never die. They just fade back quietly into the bushes beside the road, looking for another victim for the “Gatsometer” speed trap.

That is a real brand name, by the way – and not a South African belief that the device is named after those who operate it – and has caught many an errant motorist over the years.

But Wayne Minnaar was that most unusual of the guardians of law and order on our highways and byways.

He was a soft-spoken gentleman, ever ready with a smile when he dealt with members of the media as the spokesperson for the Joburg Metro Police Department.

ALSO READ: Woman allegedly breaks into City of Joburg offices to tamper with computers

Wayne was there in the thick of it – releasing details of traffic disruptions from riots to rainstorms, reminding the drivers of the City of Gold not to drink and drive, exceed the speed limit and to be courteous and think of others.

It can’t always have been an easy job – after all, traffic cops are almost universally disliked, even when they work from HQ and speak in front of microphones and cameras.

But Wayne did it all with confident aplomb, seemingly never ruffled.

You became an institution, Sir, and served our city well.