Cape Town - A city councillor avoided arrest shortly before a council meeting for clocking up arrest warrants for R4 000 in unpaid traffic fines.
Amos Komeni, an ANC councillor, was pulled aside by city traffic services on Wednesday and urged to settle his fines.
Komeni, pictured, is one of two councillors who have arrest warrants for outstanding fines. The other councillor was off sick on Wednesday. Just before the full council meeting, senior traffic officers Wayne Rossland and Yunus Jamal pulled Komeni aside.
Rossland told Komeni he had one outstanding warrant for R600. There were another five pending arrest warrants for fines worth R3 400.
Rossland explained to the councillor that he had failed to appear in court and set another date on September 28.
He said the summons was signed at Komeni’s home. However, it was a “non-personal warrant”, meaning it was not signed by Komeni himself.
“We are here to give you a last warning and give you a new court date. If you do not adhere, it will be a double contempt and you will face immediate arrest.
“We are trying to prevent you going through a roadblock where you can be arrested,” Rossland told Komeni.
Komeni told the traffic officer that if the warrants had been given to him previously, there “would be a different story”.
Komeni did not want to comment when approached by the Cape Argus.
It’s not the first time he has been nabbed for traffic offences. Last year, Komeni was one of two councillors arrested for failing to settle their outstanding warrants.
During Wednesday’s meeting Dirk Smit, city speaker, thanked nine councillors for paying their outstanding fines since the last council meeting.
“However, there are now two new ones. You will receive your letters and please see to that before the next council meeting.”
At the previous council meeting, Smit said that earlier this year there were 15 councillors with outstanding warrants. One of them had nine warrants.
In the group were councillors from the DA, ANC and Cope, as well as a mayoral committee member.
Cape Argus