The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has welcomed a court judgment that found a Pretoria taxi driver guilty for trying to bribe a traffic officer with R70 “cold drink money”.
Taxi driver John Mthembu was arrested by members of the National Traffic Police on 22 March 2019 on Botha Avenue in Lyttleton when it was determined that he was driving an unroadworthy vehicle.
It was discovered that the license disk of the vehicle had expired and there were other defects that warranted the vehicle to be discontinued from operating on a public road.
Mthembu allegedly offered officers R70 as a bribe to avoid the discontinuation of the vehicle and a traffic infringement fine. The officers immediately arrested him and he was charged for bribery.
A regional court found him guilty this week and handed a four years imprisonment term, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of the same offence.
RTMC Chief Executive Officer Advocate Makhosini Msibi has applauded the traffic police for their success in obtaining a conviction in the bribery case.
“This is a demonstration that some of our traffic officers are no longer interested to have their good name tarnished by motorists who are not prepared to obey the rules of the road.
“We need more traffic officers to emulate this good example and ensure that motorists who offer bribes face consequences for their actions. This is the kind of attitude we require in order to win the battle against lawlessness on the road and reduce fatalities,” said Advocate Msibi. - SAnews.gov.za
