The failure by the KZN Department of Transport to fill more than 200 vacant posts in the Road Traffic Inspectorate is cause for grave concern.
The Department of Transport should bear the burden of blame for road accidents, and for the many road fatalities, as there are not enough Traffic Police on our roads. The IFP has made numerous calls to the KZN MEC for Transport, advocating for heightened vigilance, with officers to be deployed 24/7. Sadly these calls have not resulted in any action and the status quo remains, with accidents becoming commonplace on our Province’s roads.
The Hon. MEC for Transport, Bheki Ntuli, should provide compelling reasons as to why these vacant posts have not been filled. We seek answers as to when these posts will be advertised, as well as clear and concise time frames for the resolution of this urgent matter. We are of the view that the time for complacency and excuses is over. The RTI simply cannot provide an effective service if they remain under-staffed. We cannot sit back and witness more road deaths as a result of incompetent leadership in the Department. These posts should be filled urgently, and vigilance should be maintained at all times.
Not filling these vacant posts is not acceptable, especially against the backdrop of the high unemployment rate in our Province, particularly amongst our youth.
The IFP calls upon the Hon. Premier, Sihle Zikalala, to intervene in this matter and to hold the MEC accountable for his failure in ensuring that these posts are filled.
We are also concerned at the alarming uptick in road carnage, which continues to haunt our Province’s roads. Despite numerous awareness campaigns, road deaths still continue to claim innocent lives daily. Many of these accidents are indeed avoidable and we need to revisit inadequacies – be it in policies, legislation, road maintenance and upkeep or vehicle standards. Driver attitudes have to change, as many accidents are as a result of negligence and a blatant disregard for the rules of the road.
Road safety should be a way of life and children should be educated from a young age so that they grow up to become responsible road users. Stringent laws should be implemented, so that all road users respect the rules of the road. In the absence of harsher laws, the number of road accidents will continue to increase at an alarming rate, with multiple deaths and the socio-economic implications that follow.
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Contact:
Hon. Steven Moodley, MPL
IFP KZN Spokesperson for Transport
083 253 2277