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Date
: 26/06/2003
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Ndebele: Graduation ceremony of KZN traffic officers
SPEECH AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR ROAD TRAFFIC INSPECTORATE
OFFICERS BY MR SIBUSISO NDEBELE, MEC FOR TRANSPORT IN
KWAZULU-NATAL, 26 June 2003
Master of Ceremonies
Mayors
Municipal Managers
Transport CEO: Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa
Members of the Transport Portfolio Committee
Friends and family of graduates
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is now a fact that the department is known across the country
for its work - the work all of us do, especially you here today.
Every time I visit other provinces especially, Gauteng, everyone
remarks about one thing and one thing alone, our zero tolerance
philosophy. I have been told time and time again that if there is
only one traffic force very serious about its work it is this one
here.
Tonight we are here to congratulate 21 new officers that have
endured this past six months of hard work and study. This is a very
tough course that prepares the officers to face the more important
task of guarding people's lives out there. The importance of such a
task cannot be undermined.
The graduates have been taught through the traffic training college
the academics of the Road Traffic Act and other legislation. It is
not only the academics of the legislation that you have been
taught, but you have had the opportunity to have practical
experience in applying this information.
This batch of officers is well up to date with the latest traffic
legislative amendments such as how to deal with those that haven't
complied with the Credit Card Format (CCF) licences. The issue of
the CCF licences, as all of us know, has been a very thorny and
controversial one. However, sometimes change is not always
welcomed. For us to move towards a safer road environment we have
had to ensure that all our drivers have the CCF licence. About
seven hundred thousand people in this province have converted to
the new license format. Obviously there have been people who have
not heeded the call to convert on time - either because they did
not have legitimate licences or just did not bother to change their
licenses. Whatever the reason for that may be, they are now sitting
with invalid ID book licences. You are now going to go out of here
and ensure that people without licences should not be driving on
our roads. The CCF licence will also ensure that we can implement
the Points Demerit System (PDS) due to take place next year.
The road to lesser crashes is a tough one. It is tough because
there are so many bends and turns that need negotiating before we
reach the destination. One of those challenging turns is that a lot
of motorists cannot see properly. As we all drive, we proceed with
the hope that the other drivers and road users can see the road and
us too. Sadly, there are a lot of people whose vision is not 20/20
and they traverse our roads daily. Some do so legally in the course
of their duties. As government we do not wish to intentionally
disadvantage people. To address this problem, I have recently; in
parliament, announced our campaign of Siyabona Bonakala - to assist
primarily taxi, bus, government and freight industry drivers, who
need them, to acquire affordable spectacles. Through targeting
these people we hope to ultimately reduce the number of people who
have poor vision but have to drive to earn a living. We wish to
ensure that those people charged with transporting the majority of
our people do so in a safe manner.
As the drivers see the road, we need to ensure that our traffic
officers are also seen on the road. A high visibility for officers
on the roads is something that the public sees as a commitment to
their road safety. It makes them feel safer and protected. It is
your duty as traffic officers to protect and serve the public. I
also do hope that we will soon be able to employ more officers to
fill the 60 plus vacant traffic officer positions as the moratorium
on filling vacant posts is lifted soon.
Tonight these officers will receive certificates of appointment as
peace officers, and diplomas as traffic officers. This means that
they will be suitable for duty as from tomorrow morning. I am
confident, therefore, that these officers will actually be able to
do their work properly tomorrow because of the training that we
have offered them. They have been trained properly and adequately
to be able to do what all of us expect of them.
It would be amiss of me not to congratulate, particularly, the top
student for this course, Mr HG Khaki. Of the entire 21 students, he
graduates cum laude tonight. Keep it up. To the rest of the team,
who have also excelled in different subjects, I say you now know
why we are called the best province with regard to road safety
practices. We have excellent people, such as yourselves, who make
us proud through your performance.
The challenge is still huge. The road crashes are still too many.
Too many people are still victims of this preventable and curable
disease that happens on the roads. You are now sent out to help
cure this disease. You are sent out from here to help save as many
lives as you can. The path will not be easy, yet you will have to
persevere. You need to be ambassadors of proper and good behaviour
on our roads as all eyes will now focus on your behaviour. I know
that you will see tremendously ghastly things in the course of your
work. Let that always be a challenge to all of you to help reduce
the amount of these terrible crashes. As a population of
KwaZulu-Natal we now turn to you for assistance and protection. Can
we count on you?
Thank you.
Media contact: Thabang Chiloane, Chief Director: Public Safety
& Communication, Cell: 082 8055 748
Issued by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, 26 June
2003
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