DA raises concerns regarding Limpopo traffic officers being bribed

SEKHUKHUNE – The Limpopo DA has reiterated a call for an offender register to be kept at the Limpopo Department of Transport to expose corrupt officials.

The party said it would write to the MEC for transport, Mavhungu Lerule Ramakhanya, to implement an offender’s
register for traffic officials in the Limpopo department.

This call is the result of a video currently doing the rounds on social media, of a traffic official brazenly accepting what appears to be bribes from two men on the roadside next to a Limpopo traffic vehicle.

In the 32-second video, the traffic officer and two men walk over to the service vehicle. The larger of the two civilians appears to have his wallet in hand and all three of the individuals seem to have their
eyes fixed on it.

An item seems to change hands between the man and the traffic officer – although it is unclear what the item is, as their backs are turned towards the camera. The traffic officer climbs into the driver’s seat of the service vehicle and the civilian flashes some sort of card at a another officer before inserting it into his wallet. The pair of
civilians cross the road and the video ends.

All the while, the people recording the video chuckle with laughter.

Over the past number of years, Limpopo has been plagued by allegations of corrupt transport department officials, testing station officials and traffic officers.

In 2019, an SIU report identified 43 Limpopo traffic officials involved in serious crimes like fraud and corruption.

“An offender register would instil confidence in the department and its ability to be transparent and hold officials
accountable for their conduct. It would also assist in monitoring whether officials who are found guilty have been dismissed, subjected to consequence management and in cases of dismissal, also ensure they are never rehired elsewhere within the department’s institutions,” said Katlego Phala, the DA’s provincial spokesperson for transport.

Although the DA welcomes the investigation of the incident by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, the party said it was troubled that the department remained mum on the incident.

“The traffic official’s identity would not be hard to determine and from the video the two men who allegedly paid the bribes are clearly visible.

The DA calls upon MEC Ramakhanya to ensure that the incident is investigated, and if the evidence correlates
with those seen on the video, that the matter be handed over to SAPS for criminal investigations.”

Phala said her party would monitor this case closely to ensure that  consequence
management was implemented.