WTF??? Pretoria - Senior government leaders are allowed to exceed the country's speed

[nivek]

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,9294,2-7-1442_2041346,00.html

Licence to speed...
06/12/2006 23:20 - (SA)

Roadhogs beware, warns Radebe

Driving licences 'go national'

Road deaths cost SA R43bn p/a

Hilda Fourie, Beeld

Pretoria - Senior government leaders are allowed to exceed the country's speed limits.

So says Collen Msibi, spokesperson for Transport Minister Jeff Radebe.

He was responding to a report in Beeld about Radebe and his motorcade speeding off, blue lights flashing, straight after the minister had launched the national road safety project on Tuesday.

The minister said at the launch that 75% of road accidents were caused by speeding.

Msibi said article 176 of the Traffic Control Act says police officials "may disregard traffic signs in the execution of their duties".

"That includes the use of blue lights.

VIP unit provides drivers

"People should remember that the president, his deputy, cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, premiers and MECs do not drive their own vehicles.

"Qualified members of the VIP unit - which is part of the police - perform that duty.

"Ministers don't always go over the speed limit and they don't always use the blue lights," he said.

"Convoys are allowed to exceed the speed limit if there is a security risk."

Msibi could not explain why Radebe's driver had used the blue light on Tuesday - or if there had been a security risk.

"Minister Radebe is in a cabinet meeting and I have not yet spoken to him. I don't know why the blue light was used."

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can see it being valid for the president and his deputy, but c'mon, the rest of them arent even worth greeting nevermind assassinating :/

 

[saintm]

Makes it even more annoying - these are the guys that are supposed to be setting an example on the roads. Funny, I can't think I have ever heard that they were allowed to speed before?

 

[Paul_S]

At least it's not as bad as it is Zim.
You have to stop your vehicle (preferably off the road) when Mugabe comes along in his ~24 vehicle motorcade (armed soldiers, policemen, ambulence, etc.)

It's also illegal to make any gesture or statement within the view or hearing of the state motorcade with the intention of insulting any person traveling with an escort or any member of the escort.
You can get arrested and charged for simply pointing a finger at the motorcade or giving them the middle finger.

 

[Syndyre]

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

This place is becoming more and more like a dictatorship every day.

 

[Syndyre]

At least it's not as bad as it is Zim.
You have to stop your vehicle (preferably off the road) when Mugabe comes along in his ~24 vehicle motorcade (armed soldiers, policemen, ambulence, etc.)

It's also illegal to make any gesture or statement within the view or hearing of the state motorcade with the intention of insulting any person traveling with an escort or any member of the escort.
You can get arrested and charged for simply pointing a finger at the motorcade or giving them the middle finger.

Yeah, friend of mine used to live there and was friends with one of the minister's kids, stopped his car to drop him off at home at the ministerial compound which is at least a block from Mugabe's place. As soon as he stopped literally 7 guys ran out and pointed AK47's at him. Messed up country.

 

[Gothan]

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

This place is becoming more and more like a dictatorship every day.

Hahahahaha just the other day, I pointed a friend of mine's attention to animal farm, as a kind of biography of the current south africa. She was being idiotically optimistic again. That shut her up for awhile

 

[Fudzy]

Interesting, I've seen quite a few strange luxury sedans & suvs with blue LEDs in mounted infront of their pull-down mirrors, they all drive very fast. Anyone know who they are? Most commonly sighted on the main freeway between the Marianhill Toll plaza and Westville

 

[Syndyre]

Interesting, I've seen quite a few strange luxury sedans & suvs with blue LEDs in mounted infront of their pull-down mirrors, they all drive very fast. Anyone know who they are? Most commonly sighted on the main freeway between the Marianhill Toll plaza and Westville

The gravy train.

 

[Syndyre]

Hahahahaha just the other day, I pointed a friend of mine's attention to animal farm, as a kind of biography of the current south africa. She was being idiotically optimistic again. That shut her up for awhile

What's even more scary is when you start to see parallels with 1984.

 

[Skeptik]

Police are allowed to travel over the speed limit and run red lights in the execution of their duties. However if there is an accident, they can be in serious trouble.

What the point here is why the heck these VIPs need to travel around at speed in police 'emergency mode'.

 

[Syndyre]

What the point here is why the heck these VIPs need to travel around at speed in police 'emergency mode'.

To satisfy their sense of self-importance.

 

[GavinMannion]

Interesting, I've seen quite a few strange luxury sedans & suvs with blue LEDs in mounted infront of their pull-down mirrors, they all drive very fast. Anyone know who they are? Most commonly sighted on the main freeway between the Marianhill Toll plaza and Westville

AFAIK they are the presidential protection service.

You see them all the time in JHB CBD.....

Generally I found them to drive well there (I don't actually see them anywhere else).

On a side note I accidentally ended up in the middle of one of these motorcades on my bike once..

I was riding along and just overtook this big black 4X4 as normal. Before I knew it I had 4 black 4X4's surrounding me and a very n ice Black Merc in front... Then I saw the blue lights and not so friendly guys in the 4X4's...

Luckily they didn't panic and shoot me

 

[baasvandieplaas]

Just another day in africa, get use to it

 

[nocilah]

they only allowed to exceed the speed limit when they are under threat and on our roads with the current taxi situation that means all the time

 

[Darth Garth]

This place is becoming more and more like a dictatorship every day.

You mean like the previous regime and facist police state we had ???.
Vlakplaas ???.
DeathSquads ???.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Boy I do love the hyperbole on this forum sometimes .

 

[Syndyre]

The previous regime was infinitely worse, agreed. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful of heading down the same slippery slope.

 

[mikef]

You mean like the previous regime and facist police state we had ???.
Vlakplaas ???.
DeathSquads ???.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Boy I do love the hyperbole on this forum sometimes .

Two wrongs do not make it right

 

[Nod]

You can do the same.
Buy 2 2nd hand black Mercs or X5's, tint the windows dark, put on blue lights, take off the number plates, and you can speed and overtake as much as you like, on any SA road. No-one will ever stop you.

Did you also see the DIY kit at www.instant-VIP.co.za ?
Work very well actually.