Aarto will lead to more lawlessness

The ANC government is masterful at taking a crisis it generated, making a huge fuss and committing itself to the “people of South Africa” by bringing in some new law or regulation which has, invariably, been ill-thought-out.

So, there has been sudden energy around expropriation without compensation as the ruling party’s solution to land hunger and anger – an issue that ANC has avoided for the past 25 years. Then, the rush to get medical care for all through the proposed national health insurance scheme.

The ANC accuses those who oppose it of being everything from capitalists to racists, which helps it duck the reality that the mess in the public healthcare system is because of government incompetence – and the influx of illegal foreigners which is burdening hospitals.

The latest piece of legislation, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week, is the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto). At first glance, it would seem that the intentions are good: tackling the appalling road safety problem.

Let’s leave aside that poor enforcement and the fact the government has allowed corruption to flourish all over the country means the road death toll continues to climb; it is to be commended that the authorities want to simplify the road offences prosecution system.

And, in the Aarto system is the bones of an idea which could help people mend their ways through the licence points system.

However, Aarto effectively chucks the constitution out of the window by removing motorists’ rights to challenge arbitrary “convictions”.

It is, even more worryingly, looking like a way to bludgeon through compliance with the hated e-tolls system by making it a criminal offence not to pay.

Aarto will only increase bribery and lawlessness on our roads.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.