Shabangu’s R64 000 ‘need for speed’

INLSA

File photo: Minerals Minister Susan Shabangu (pictured) has been accused of deliberately dragging her feet by UCTs David Fig. Picture: Leon Nicholas

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Mineral resources minister Susan Shabangu has overtaken minister of energy Dipuo Peters to become the chief traffic offender in the cabinet, with an accumulated total of R64 060 in traffic fines.

A parliamentary reply on Monday showed Shabangu had accumulated more traffic fines than Peters, whose fines totalled almost R40 000 over the past three financial years.

DA minerals spokesman James Lorimer said fines incurred by ministers showed their “need for speed”.

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson was the third-highest offender with fines to the tune of R30 400.

Other cabinet speedsters were water and environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa, with R12 625 in fines, and science and technology minister Naledi Pandor, who had R9800 in traffic fines.

“They should be ashamed of themselves.”

Lorimer said on Monday: “Our national ministers should be setting an example for the rest of the country to follow. Instead they are showing the rest of South Africa that they have no regard for human life. It is only a matter of time before one of our speeding ministers claims a victim on our roads.

“If Minister Shabangu has a need for speed, she should rather apply this to speeding up certainty around minerals policy,” he added. - The Star

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