Durban — The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) says its leadership will be prioritising traffic police’s concerns in 2024, raising greater awareness of the obstacles inhibiting their efficiency, and proposing new strategies and solutions to the government to address their challenges.
Union president Thulani Ngwenya said this after the death of a traffic officer who was recently killed in a truck accident on the N12.
As the union reflects on this tragedy, he said, it is vital to recognise that safer roads help save lives and that even as they carry out their critical work, traffic police are beset by obstacles that prevent them from performing their roles efficiently.
“During extensive consultation with Popcru members across the country in July, traffic officers raised numerous issues that they were concerned were being ignored …
“We vow that we will advance their cause and advocate for positive change, beginning by shining a light on the issues they are currently facing.”
Ngwenya said there were four issues flagged by traffic officers. The first being decentralisation where unlike other law enforcement agencies, there is no single centralised governing body responsible for co-ordinating and providing overall strategic oversight to traffic police across the various provinces.
“There is even a divide within the traffic police in some of the provinces. For instance, in Mpumalanga, a portion of traffic officers fall under the Department of Public Works, while others fall within the purview of the Department of Transport, leading to inconsistent practices and a lack of cohesion,” says Ngwenya.
The second issue entailed compensation. He said members have reported that they are still waiting for outstanding overtime payments dating back as far as 2020. Worryingly, others have reported the non-payment of subsistence and travel allowances.
“Perhaps of greatest alarm, however, is that as a result of traffic police decentralisation, salaries and benefits are not standard across provinces, resulting in deficiencies in service in certain provinces as members pursue better packages elsewhere. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.”
Ngwenya said staffing was one of the four issues flagged where members expressed increased frustration over vacancies that were not filled for extended periods.
“Our Northern Cape members, particularly, note that the last recruitment of traffic officials occurred in 2008. Meanwhile, Limpopo members complained that there is a persistent understaffing issue at weighbridges that operate on a 24/7 basis. This means that members have to do additional work to compensate, working excessive overtime.
“Alarmingly, of the roughly 5 500 traffic officers in South Africa, nearly 1 500 are based in Gauteng, making it the only province with more than a thousand officers. Meanwhile, the eight other provinces face extreme staffing shortages,” says Ngwenya.
Equipment and vehicle issues were also brought to the fore -- another complication that traffic departments share with the SAPS and Correctional Services, he said.
“Traffic officers are even being asked to work without a functioning vehicle, while some 100 unutilised BMWs languish unused in the Western Cape.
“This is just one example of where resources are not being allocated and utilised wisely – there are many more.
“The government must reinstate subsidised vehicles for traffic officials, address shortages in vehicle availability, and ensure that all existing resources are utilised for maximum impact.
“Our traffic officers have been tasked with safeguarding South African lives, and as such, deserve full support in improving their conditions of service.”
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