MBOMBELA – This was the stern warning issued by the MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Vusi Shongwe.

Shongwe spoke to Lowvelder Express about the many operations the police had planned for the whole province.

“Many of our citizens are so excited about the festive break, they forget to look after themselves and their belongings, including property and vehicles. We have taken a stance that we will not tolerate criminal activities. Our police officers are already everywhere, patrolling and keeping our streets safe,” said Shongwe.

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“I appeal to our communities out there to be vigilant and always report any suspicious activities to their nearest police stations. For us to be safe this time, we need for our communities to work together with their police and the community policing structures,” he added.

He said even though they want to target the busiest roads in the province, he warned that there will also be more police and traffic officials in townships such as KaNyamazane, KaBokweni and Pienaar to ensure that motorists don’t drink and drive.

“I want to call on the motorists to obey the rules of the road and ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy before undertaking journeys. Public transport owners must not prioritise profits over people’s lives. I have seen many long-distance drivers consuming energy drinks in order to stay alert and that is not sustainable. These people must rest because fatigue has played a hand in some of the major crashes we have seen previously,” Shongwe added.

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He further encouraged law-enforcement officers to not turn a blind eye to anyone breaking the law on the road. He applauded the increased cooperation and collaboration among all security agencies, saying this will play a major role in reducing crashes during and beyond the holiday season.