A traffic officer from the Govan Mbeki Traffic Department, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 8 September).
According to Messrs Jan du Plessis and Donovan Cloete of AfriForum, they acted after a call on Zello came through at about 4.30pm.
“We found the traffic officer next to the road in Oliver Tambo Drive near Solly’s,” said Mr Cloete.
According to Mr Cloete, the motorcyclist who contacted Zello, said the traffic officer was driving recklessly and the motorcyclist stopped him and asked what he was doing.
He then called for help on Zello and members of AfriForum arrived on the scene.
“While we were talking to the traffic officer, he told us that we cannot do anything to him because he is a traffic officer,” said Mr Cloete.
“He then told us he needed to urinate and walked into the veld, the next moment we saw him running away.”
The group chased him and the police also responded to the call and arrested the traffic officer in Van Eck Street.
Capt Bettina Zondo, spokesman of Secunda Police, confirmed that the traffic officer was arrested and kept in the holding cells until Monday.
“He was released and will be charged when the results of his blood test returns,” said Capt Zondo.
AfriForum took part in a road block action over the weekend and took hands with the police, the traffic department, Community Policing Forum (CPF) and Langamed Ambulance Service and arrested 11 people on Friday evening (6 September) for drunk driving, driving without license plates or false license plates and without driver’s licenses.
The same action continued on Saturday evening and 16 people were arrested.
