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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
South Africa’s Ministry of Transport and Community Safety, in collaboration with other line stakeholders, is rolling out an operation to promote road safety and compliance with crossborder trade and movement related laws.
Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga is leading the team which is working closely with Zimbabwean and Zambian road agencies.
The initiative was set into motion on Tuesday morning between the Beitbridge Border Post and Musina town, along the N1 highway.
A total of 20 000 travellers, 1 200 commercial trucks and 2 000 light vehicles from Zambia, DRC, Malawi, Botswana, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe use the port of entry for cross border trade and access to the Durban Port daily. In addition, the N1 highway is one of the major commercial roads that link South Africa with the rest of Africa under the North to South corridor.
In a statement, the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety said Cross-Border Road Transport Agency’s Cross-Alive Road Safety campaign ran under the theme: “Obey the Law and Cross-Alive”.
“The Cross-Alive Road Safety campaign aims to advocate for road safety along the Beitbridge corridor just outside Musina in the Limpopo province,” said the department.
“It further aims to strengthen collaboration of law enforcement operations between law enforcement authorities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.”
The enforcement team is made up of the C-BRTA’s Road Transport Inspectorate (RTI) Unit, the Road Accident Fund (RAF), Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) and South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL).
Other members include the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Service (SAPS), Limpopo Provincial and Local Traffic Police as well as law enforcement authorities from Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said yesterday that so far they had arrested 159 suspects for violating immigration laws.
“In addition, 57 fines worth thousands of Rands were also issued to motorists for Contravention of Road Traffic Act,” he said.
“The operations were conducted in Musina Policing precinct through roadblocks, stop and searches.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate Court soon facing charges of illegal immigration and non-compliance with selling liquor without a license”.
Col Ledwaba said the program was ongoing to stamp out the criminal elements across Musina Policing area.
Online Reporter