Vavi gets bail for driving at 182km/h

Former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi in court for speeding.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed that Zwelinzima Vavi, former general secretary of trade union federation Cosatu, appeared in court yesterday on a charge of speeding.

According to NPA spokesperson Phindi Louw, Vavi appeared in the Edenvale Magistrate’s Court where he was granted bail of R1 000. Vavi had been caught speeding at 182km/h in a 120km/h zone on Sunday.

“The case has been remanded to November 4 for the accused to make representations,” said Louw.

Vavi took to Twitter yesterday afternoon and confirmed he would make representations in court.

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) would neither confirm nor deny whether Vavi was one of six motorists arrested for speeding in the Edenvale area on the East Rand.

“We can confirm six motorists were arrested between 5am and 11am on the R24 Albertina Sisulu freeway between Barbara and Edenvale bridges for speeding,” said the EMPD’s media liaison officer, Inspector Kobeli Mokheseng.

He said officers from the EMPD speed enforcement unit conducted speed checks on motor vehicles travelling east and west.

The six motorists were apprehended for exceeding the 120km/h speed limit. Mokheseng said that one of the six detained was a 52-year-old man, accompanied by a female passenger, travelling to the OR Tambo International Airport in an Audi Q7 SUV. He was caught driving at 182km/h shortly after 6am.

“Others were clocked at speeds between 161 and 180km/h.

“All those arrested were taken to the Edenvale and Bedfordview police stations, where they were charged with reckless and negligent driving.”