What you need to know about ‘spot fines’
No motorist is expected to pay any money to any officer on the road.
This is according to EMPD spokesman Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago, who elaborated on the legality of motorists being asked to pay spot fines when pulled over.
In the event of a motorist committing an offence, they will be issued with either a fine or be arrested depending on the seriousness of the offence committed.
He states that a ‘spot fine’ is a term used by EMPD, and all law enforcers for that matter, to refer to a fine issued on the side of the road by an officer for an offence committed.
The offender receives a ‘spot fine’, which is a ticket, issued by an officer and uses the ticket to pay or contest the fine in court.
“A ‘spot fine’ has absolutely no relation to a bribe other than it is a term abused by corrupt officers to intimidate and illegally siphon money from motorists,” says Kgasago.
He adds that if an officer demands or asks for money from a motorist, they are effectively soliciting a bribe and if the motorists accedes by paying, they, like the officer, are committing a crime.
“If found in the act, both the officer and the motorist will be arrested and charged with corruption as both are equally guilty,” says Kgasago.
Some law-abiding motorists either record the conversation or take a photo of an officer who they suspect of wanting a bribe in order to have proof of the crime.
“Invariably, it would be officers who are up to no good who would react with aggression to having their photo taken,” he says.
Kgasago concludes by saying officers doing their work by the book would have no problem with this and the least they could do would be to ask the motorist their reason for taking a photo.
