The Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Vusi Shongwe welcomes the arrest of a truck driver on the N4 toll road in Komatipoort towards the Lebombo Border Gate on Saturday for refusing to be stopped by the traffic officers.
He also went on to crash the truck he was driving into the vehicle of traffic officers. According to the officers at the scene, he was driving in front of the oncoming traffic when efforts were made to stop him.
The 45 year old Mozambican was arrested on the spot. He was charged with reckless driving, failure to comply with the instruction of the traffic official and malicious damage to the state property. The truck was also impounded with its load. He is expected to appear in court soon.
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MEC Vusi Shongwe condemns the driver’s behaviour in the strongest possible terms. He says: “This level of disrespect towards law enforcement officers and rules of the road will not be tolerated. While we understand the level of frustration that drivers at the border are sometimes subjected to due to long queues, no person is allowed to break the rules of the road or drive in a manner that endangers the lives of other road users including our officials,” adds the MEC.
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Shongwe is also calling on all members of the security cluster to show no leniency towards reckless truck drivers. He says they must not be discouraged by dangerous and reckless truck drivers.
Shongwe further states that the department is currently working with various stakeholders to deal with congestion at the border.
He explains that since August this year, DCSSL traffic officers are working at night on a daily basis as part of interim measures to ease congestion at the border.
