Arrests have involved senior prosecutors, police officers, and other professionals, says MEC Duma.
KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, announced strict enforcement measures against the illegal use of blue lights and enhanced safety protocols for scholar transport during a press briefing on Friday.
He said the department has intensified operations targeting the abuse of emergency vehicle lighting systems that affect the province’s 12.5 million residents who rely on major transport routes, including the N3 and N2 corridors.
Blue light violations result in arrests
Duma revealed that a recent multidisciplinary roadblock at Mchanga led to significant discoveries regarding blue light violations.
“On the 19th of April, with the successful multidisciplinary roadblock that took place at Mhlanga, our highly efficient, energetic, and dedicated team from Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) stopped a convoy transporting the deputy mayor of Nongoma Municipality,” he said.
Duma added that the RTI team discovered multiple violations of Regulation 176 of the National Traffic Act of 1993-96.
They found improper use of blue lights reserved for traffic officers, South African Police Service (Saps) members, and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) military service personnel.
Furthermore, green lights, intended for disaster management vehicles, and white lights, designated for registered security vehicles, were also being misused.
The MEC emphasised that blue lights must only be operated by registered officers.
“Whenever you see a blue light, you just have to understand that as part of the protocol, someone who’s registered as an officer, Saps, must be driving that vehicle,” Duma stated.
Following the incident, the acting municipal manager from Nongoma Local Municipality confirmed that drivers were unaware of the legal framework regarding identification lights.
The department has since intensified monitoring to combat what Duma described as the “blue light mafia”.
“We will not fold our arms. We want to protect innocent motorists and the people of this province against the images of blue light mafia, which is critical at this point in time because in some instances they will be harassing other motorists and fellow drivers,” he said.
ALSO READ: Three children among six injured after truck ploughs into cars in KZN
Road enforcement operations intensify
The department’s RTI team arrested a speeding driver rushing to King Shaka International Airport who was transporting the deputy speaker of a local municipality along with various officials.
Duma noted that arrests have included senior prosecutors, police officers, and other professionals.
Since 15 August, the department has arrested 293 motorists for drunk driving as part of their zero-tolerance approach.
“As you enter any boundaries and build in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, you then have to be concertised,” the MEC warned.
Duma said the department conducts regular patrols involving multiple agencies across the province’s 54 000 kilometres of road networks to ensure motorist safety.
KZN scholar transport headache
Duma separated government-subsidised scholar transport from private operations run by taxi associations and individuals to provide clarity on the department’s role.
He said currently, 84 service providers work with both the transport and education departments to operate 3 434 vehicles serving 77 269 pupils across the province.
However, significant challenges remain. “The total number of 234 907 learners are still in need of the service, and 157 538 learners are on the waiting list as a result of the depleted resources,” Duma revealed.
The approved learner transport budget for the 2025-26 financial year stands at R243 million, which the MEC acknowledged as insufficient.
By June 2025, expenditure is projected to reach R262 million, with R274 million required from September 2025 to March 2026.
ALSO READ: KZN minibus crash: Report expected within 48 hours after 4 pupils lost their lives
Memorial service for accident victims
The briefing included time for prayer and a memorial service for five pupils from Mbali Township who died in a horrific scholar transport accident.
Four of the pupils have been buried already, with the fifth one to be buried over the weekend.
The community gathering, led by religious leaders, aimed to provide comfort to affected families.
Duma reiterated that learner safety remains a collective responsibility.
“We are mourning, [and] wish to avoid at all costs any finger pointing, [we also] wish to remind all role players of their responsibilities.”
The department will enforce compliance with regulations while collaborating with municipalities and law enforcement agencies to remove non-roadworthy vehicles from the roads.
Policy enforcement and audits
Following the tragic accident, the department has mandated comprehensive audits of school transport operations.
Acting officials will work with municipal managers to ensure all municipalities in the Umgungundlovu district participate in these assessments.
The MEC emphasised partnerships with parents and school governing bodies to verify vehicle conditions and driver permits while avoiding overloaded vehicles.
“On the issue of issuing fraudulent certificates, we must be clear on the partnership with Vehicle Testing Association,” Duma said, noting ongoing technical engagements to establish clear frameworks.
Transport month celebrations
The department will unveil Transport Month activities on Tuesday, 29 November 2025. The celebration will include graduation ceremonies for more than 700 RTI officers, the department’s first and largest cohort.
“We’ll confer traffic diplomas upon all successful candidates. We’ll encourage them to uphold higher standards of ethics, professionalism, and to be enforcers of road safety measures,” Duma announced.
The ceremony will feature an open-air parade with performances and will take place as part of broader transport infrastructure development initiatives.
Infrastructure development progress
Current road infrastructure projects amount to R14.6 billion with expected outputs of 5.2 million square meters.
Resealing commitments total R666 million with anticipated output of 903 600 square meters.
Duma said the department continues to convert gravel roads to surfaced roads across various parts of the province, while working closely with traditional leaders to ensure successful implementation.
He further noted that during the first quarter of this year, transport sector initiatives created 45 722 jobs, contributing to the province’s economic development goals.
The MEC concluded by emphasising the department’s commitment to providing safe, decent, effective, integrated and sustainable transport services while ensuring accountability for every cent spent on public transport infrastructure and services.
NOW READ: Two killed, 15 injured after minibus taxi crashes into cars
