Minister to brief committee on SABC

Communications Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane will have the opportunity on Tuesday to present her side of the story to the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications in the SABC executive appointments saga.

Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi and his provincial counterparts have hailed a decrease in road fatalities during the festive season, but bemoaned a sluggish and ineffective justice system, which impeded on traffic authorities sanctioning motorists who transgress the rules of the road.

This comes as Parliament’s National Council of Provinces is about to approve the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Amendment Bill. Once enacted, the bill will put a demerit system in place for motorists who break road rules.

The number of road fatalities decreased from 1,714 in the period from December 1 2016 to January 9 2017 to 1,527 in the period from December 1 2017 to January 9 2018.

“However, speed continued to be a major headache with 922 drivers arrested compared to 785 in the 2016-17 period. Five motorists were arrested in Limpopo, Gauteng, KwaZuluNatal and Western Cape for driving at speeds exceeding 220km per hour in 120km zones,” Maswanganyi said.

Road Traffic Management Corporation CEO Makhosini Msibi said they had discussed traffic safety and court matters relating to infringements with magistrates in seven provinces.

North West transport MEC Mpho Motlhabane said that when monitoring the highway crossing the province the authorities neglected rural areas, which was where the increase in fatalities was most pronounced. KwaZulu-Natal transport, community safety and liaison MEC Mxolisi Kaunda attributed the 13% reduction in crashes and subsequent drop in fatalities to increased operations and visibility by law enforcers.

The Mpumalanga and Limpopo MECs said they had increased law enforcement to check on traffic crossing into Mozambique and Zimbabwe.