The Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal has issued a stern warning to motorists ahead of the long weekend, urging road users to obey traffic laws as enforcement efforts are intensified across the province.
Officials confirmed that patrol vehicles have now been equipped with an Automatic Number Recognition System, a new technology designed to strengthen law enforcement operations on major routes.
According to department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya, the system will be used during intelligence-driven roadblocks to identify unroadworthy, unlicensed, and stolen vehicles.
He said the technology will also be linked to crime recognition software, allowing authorities to flag outstanding fines, summonses, and warrants of arrest in real time.
Sibiya reiterated that enforcement teams will show no leniency to offenders, following the recent prosecution of a speeding motorist in the region.
Earlier this week, Muhammad Khan appeared before the Scottburgh Magistrates' Court after being caught driving at 215 km/h in a 120 km/h zone by the Road Traffic Inspectorate’s Park Rynie unit.
He was fined R50,000 or sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, with half of the sentence suspended for five years.
“We have in the past arrested well-known criminals, lawyers, engineers, accountants, doctors, police officers, soldiers, bodyguards, undocumented foreign nationals, truck drivers, taxi drivers, pastors, teachers, nurses, prosecutors, civil servants, and many more professionals,” Sibiya said. “Our message is very clear. Nobody is above the law.”
In a separate incident last week, RTI officers in Kokstad intercepted a suspected supermarket robbery suspect during a roadblock operation.
Officials said the vehicle was stopped with four occupants, but the driver attempted to flee before a breathalyser test could be conducted, while three passengers jumped from the moving vehicle.
Road Traffic Inspectorate spokesperson Sibiya said officers pursued and arrested the driver, recovering expensive liquor and large amounts of cash from the vehicle, which were handed over to the South African Police Service.
He added that one of the suspects was later linked to an armed robbery at a local supermarket after being identified by the business owner.
The MEC for Transport has since praised RTI officers in Kokstad for their integrity during the operation, noting that they resisted bribery despite the large sums of money found in the vehicle.
Authorities say intensified enforcement operations will continue throughout the long weekend.