Humble motorist questions Mayor

Madam – On Thursday 20 March 2014 at approximately 9am while travelling to town along Hardwick Street I noticed five or six traffic vehicles parked on the access road to the show hall.

One of these vehicles moved forward, stopping diagonally accross Hardwick Street halting the traffic.

The other traffic vehicles proceeded towards town and then the mayor’s official vehicle NN1 came out from the show hall area, followed by at least 10 other vehicles. After allowing us to proceed, it was noticed that the other traffic vehicles had been deployed to stop traffic at the Kirkland Street as well as the Murchison Street intersections to allow the mayor and his entourage uninterrupted travelling.

At the Murchison Street intersection this entourage turned right ,which most likely meant that the mayor was on his way to his office and obviously all intersections along this route would also have received similar treatment.

This led me to wonder how long the five or six traffic officers had to wait at the show hall for the mayor. and could it perhaps have been possible that the same process was followed in getting the mayor to the show hall and if that the traffic officers waited there all the time.

It becomes mind boggling to think what the costs were to transport the mayor from his office to the show hall and back to save a few minutes of travelling time while it did not matter how many motorists had to endure unnecessary delays. I guess that this does not matter much as I suppose that we are after all considered his “lowly subjects”.

HUMBLE MOTORIST

Response from Mayor, Afzul Rehman:

Thank you for the opportunity to respond. On the said day, I was part of a very historical event of escorting the KZN provincial government Freedom Flame, a symbol of the 20th year anniversary of freedom and democracy in SA.

I was escorting among other dignitaries, the MEC for Health in KZN and district and local mayors. We were not being escorted to my office, as the writer assumed, but to the Ekuseni Youth Development Centre in Normandien.

I do not use a host of traffic officials for my own travel. Should the need arise, one traffic vehicle is sufficient because I am one of the few mayors who did not install a siren and blue light in my vehicle.

The writer’s mention of “lowly subjects”, insinuating that I believe I am above ordinary residents should be rejected with the same contempt as his/her other assumptions. While I try my best to give the correct dignity and professionalism to the high office I hold, I do not believe it defines me as a person. Those of you who know me, will know better.