Confiscated ID hinders man’s vote

LYDENBURG – Mr Pieter Mabuza might not be able to take part in the upcoming national elections like all other South Africans this coming Wednesday.

For the past three months he has been left stranded with no identity document or driver’s licence after a traffic officer at Thaba Chweu Municipality apparently confiscated these only because Mbuza demanded evidence that he had him allegedly exceeded the speed limit.

“I was pulled over in town for alleged speeding. I knew I was within the legal speed limit and therefor asked to see the camera reading. The officer refused and immediately confiscated my identity document and licence. It has been three months since this incident and I have not gotten an explanation nor received my documents back.”

Mabuza says he is at his wits end regarding the situation and even more so because he will not be able to vote. “It is not that I did not try to get my documents back. I even went to see the mayor, Cllr Michael Ncongwane. He said that he would look into the matter and report back to me, but until now, I have not received any word from TCM.”

He explains he is a qualified electrician and supplier of seafood to various supermarkets in the region. “My wife now has to drive me to do my work. I have two fishing boats in Mozambique which I can’t get to that supplies fresh fish to various shops in the region.

I can’t go to Mozambique and subsequently cannot supply these supermarkets with fish. I am losing more than R400 000 for each missed trip to Mozambique.”

In terms of the National Road Traffic Act, a traffic officer does have the authority to demand your driver’s licence. Furthermore, the traffic officer does have the authority to confiscate the document even when he or she has reason to believe that the license may have some evidentiary proof that has been a violation of the National Road Traffic or any other legislation that deals with traffic laws.

There is no provision in the Transport Act or legislation for traffic officers to confiscate licences and therefor it is not within the law.

Steelburger/Lydenburg News contacted the acting chief traffic officer, Mr Vusi Mdluli with regard to Mabuza’s situation.

Mdluli was upset that Mabuza had approached the newspaper with regard to the incident and said he should have talked to officials or himself at TCM first.

When the journalist explained that Mabuza did in fact bring it under the attention of the mayor, he said he should have come with the journalist to TCM to address the issue.

The newspaper phoned Mabuza who in turn said he found it extremely strange that Mdluli was now suddenly willing to talk to him about the matter.

“Now he wants to talk to me, yet when I saw him in the mayor’s office when I brought the matter under their attention, he didn’t deem it fit to even greet me. I will not go there. He knows where I live and he is aware of the matter.”

The newspaper nonetheless asked if anything could be done to ensure that Mabuza’s documents were returned to him. Mdluli told the newspaper that he could not comment on the said matter. “At the moment there is an ongoing investigation into the matter, thus TCM cannot give any comment or detail until it has been resolved.”

In the meantime Mabuza is still not certain if he will be able to cast his vote in the coming election.