Met Tanne
The subject is regarding vehicles being homologated in direct contravention of the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996. Depending on your field of expertise, I would like to discuss something rather controversial. I have yet to find someone with the guts - no offence meant, please - to take this matter further and indeed publish something about it.
It would therefore seem that, perhaps by default because nobody is prepared to do anything about it, whatever wrong is being done by the government through one or more of its parastatals, the SABS and NRCS, motor manufacturers, motor dealers, e-NaTIS and the banks is condoned because no action is being taken against any or all of them combined.
I have been told, on numerous occasions, that I am wasting my time with trivial matters as there are so many “much more important” issues that need to be dealt with. It is precisely this attitude that irks me and causes me to be more determined to get something done about it.
You have to understand that there are 346 regulations and 94 acts, all excluding any sub-regulations, in the National Road Transport Act (NRTA) 93 of 1996. Nowhere in the act or any of the regulations is provision or reference made to any of the acts or regulations being lesser than any of the others.
The consequence or outcome of each of them is very different as you will have, as an example, a 10-year sentence for drunk driving yet only a fine for driving through a red light. In addition to the institutions mentioned above, there is also the matter of auction houses selling or disposing of vehicles in direct contravention of the NRTA 93 of 1996.
All parties contacted have effectively shown me a middle finger, telling me to look for more serious issues. How much more serious than contravening a national law do you want? My reasoning therefore is based on these facts and it is my conclusion that all the regulations and acts are equal in the eyes of the law.
It therefore goes without saying, that my so called “trivial” issues are in fact not so trivial after all. As all are equal I want the same attention given to these “small irrelevant” issues as are given to what is deemed higher priority issues.
As mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York has stated on many occasions, dealing with the small petty crimes prevents the larger more serious ones from happening. This is exactly what I am referring to.
Ed: This is a new column (gonsgroepie) in the Autodealer Lowveld where I will invite people within, and outside of the industry, to share their pet hate/love/anything about motoring. Although I will publish this anonymously, I will know and insist on knowing the identity of the author but I will not share this info publicly. I also reserve the right to edit and shorten copy and although tongue-in-cheek comments will be allowed and welcomed, common decency is imperative. Readers are most welcome to participate by sharing their comments on any column with us via email on motoring@lowvelder.co.za or our Facebook (Autodealer Lowveld) page. Let’s talk!
