 
MEDIA STATEMENT
HEIGHTENED LAW ENFORCEMENT BEARS FRUITIncreased law enforcement operations by the KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) have paid off with no major road crashes being reported in the province since last Friday. RTI decided to step up its enforcement operations over the past week-end following a recent trend which emerged indicating that each month-end weekend, which is associated with traditional payday activities, brings about an increase in traffic volumes and a regrettable increase in road deaths as well as associated injuries. From Friday to Sunday (28 – 30/05/2004) motorists in the province were charged for 5 566 various traffic offences by RTI alone (this excludes operations carried out by other traffic enforcement agencies such as Durban Metro Police and other local authority traffic departments). 51 Drivers were arrested for drinking and driving, 105 vehicles were taken off the roads for being in an un-roadworthy condition and 107 drivers were charged for operating unlicensed vehicles. RTI Officers worked a total of 5 375 hours and patrolled 34 679 kilometres in just three days. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Safety and Security Mr. Bheki Cele has congratulated law enforcement officers for their commitment and dedication towards ensuring the safety of road users. "Many officers sacrificed their off week-end to ensure that people were safe on our roads and for this I want to commend them. We will continue to ensure that the number of road crashes is drastically reduced and I want to warn motorists that these operations will continue until people learn to voluntarily uphold the law. We cannot afford to loose innocent lives just because of an indifferent attitude on the part of certain road users. This blatant disregard for the law must stop or those who are guilty must pay the price," Cele said. Meanwhile, MEC Bheki Cele together with the Chief Executive Officer of the KZN Transport Department Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa will be visiting the community of Sweetwaters, outside Pietermaritzburg tomorrow (03/06/2004) to remember six people who were killed in a horror bus crash in January this year. The memorial, which commences at 11h00, will take place at the Sweetwaters main road where the accident occurred. The memorial forms part of the department’s road safety programme, Siyabakhumbula ("we remember them") which was initiated to remember all those people who lost their lives in road crashes. All media are invited to attend. Please note picture opportunities. For transport please contact Mdu Msawuli on 083 646 9726.
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