LETTERS: Disgusted at abuse of authority

From corruption and bribery to assault and harassment, traffic officers now operate as though they are above the law. This is something we as a community cannot allow to perpetuate itself in our town.
On Saturday June 4, 2016 I had an unfortunate and appalling experience with the KDM traffic department on King Shaka Street that I believe needs to be shared as I am sure I am not the first person in town to have experienced abuse of authority at the hands of traffic officers.
While clearly signaling that I was intending to occupy a parking space in which a vehicle was getting out of by having my indicator on and my vehicle already in reverse gear, a traffic officer pulls up behind me requesting that I move. Finding this to be ridiculous as the traffic officer could see for herself that a space was becoming available I continued to wait for the parking space. The traffic officer then pulls up alongside me, insisting I move. I explained that I will be parking in the space that was now available. I was not an obstruction to traffic and the traffic officer witnessed for herself that as the space had become available, I parked. After all, this is how people park, am I right?
To my surprise, the traffic officer parked off a few cars in front of me and then approached my window demanding to see my driver’s licence. When questioned what the problem was, she responded that she had to give me a ticket for double parking! I am a licenced driver for about 15 years and maybe the rules of the road have changed since I got my licence, but please correct me if I am wrong: since when is parallel parking now an offense that warrants a fine on the charge of being called double parking?
I showed her my licence was in my possession and requested that she explain my offence clearly. She became aggressive and stated that she could give me a ticket for whatever she likes! Wow, is this the law by which traffic officers are governed?
To my horror she then opened my car door, grabbed my keys from the ignition and then walked away. Her expectation was that I then leave my car unlocked and go to her with my licence in the middle of the street. This was absolutely absurd as anyone in their right mind would not leave their car unlocked in town.
After 30 min of waiting a family member stepped in to assist me by taking my licence to where the traffic officer was now just standing doing nothing. It was disgusting to see that instead of proceeding to do her job and write the ticket for an offence she was adamant I had committed, she instead verbally abused my family member on the street, drawing the attention of many passers-by who had gathered to assist. This was both unnecessary and embarrassing.
Her supervisor, Mr MJ Ntshangase, then arrived. He refused to listen to what had transpired, claiming that he could not do anything since he was not present at the time and that we need to just take the ticket and address the matter in court if we were not happy.
This abuse of authority must be addressed. We cannot be forced to succumb to their tyranny of doing as they please and accept fines just because they can issue one without being accountable for what really transpires. Oh, and I received a R3000 fine all because the traffic officer had to cover up her own incompetence of not knowing the difference between parallel parking into a space and causing an obstruction by double parking! I wonder who else in our community had to suffer the abuse of KDM traffic officers?
STEPHANIE SUBRAMANIAN
KwaDukuza
Letter shortened – Editor.