Fallen traffic officers were brave guardians of safety: Hlengwa

Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa says the bravery of traffic officers who died in the line of duty should not be taken for granted as they lost their lives enforcing the law.

The Department of Transport joined by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, Metro Police held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Boekenhoutkloof traffic training college, in Pretoria West on Sunday. This is in remembrance of the 69 traffic officers who died in the line of duty in 2019.

November 17 has been marked as World Remembrance Day for Road Accident Victims. However, this ceremony is also aimed at celebrating the traffic law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives to save the country.

Hlengwa says, “Whether patrolling the streets, responding to emergencies, or ensuring justice is served, they stand as guardians of safety, sometimes putting themselves directly in harm’s way to preserve order on the roads.”

Officers who die in the line of duty leave behind families, friends, and colleagues who will forever feel the impact of their loss.

Families of the celebrated traffic soldiers are still torn by their loss.

“Today’s day is both sweet and bitter. It is bitter in the sense that it reminds me, rather takes me back to the accident, and loss of my loved one and it shows also that the department did not value that work but their lives,” says one family member.

“It is a beautiful event, as painful as it is because it is taking us back to the wounds that we still trying to heal from. But we appreciate this initiative. To the world, they are heroes and heroines,” adds another one.

The Gauteng government has assured families that have lost their husbands, parents, siblings and children of their full support.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says, “We are ready to suspend our day-to-day responsibilities so that we can share the pain that you are going through. If you are a human being and you feel pain it means you are alive. But if you feel the pain of others it means you’re a human being. That’s what we are trying to do. To be human beings and support you.”

Drunk driving

South Africans are two weeks away from the festive season and Hlengwa says he is concerned about the extreme consumption of alcohol by the road users in the country. He says he believes that most of the crashes are a result of drunk driving.

“We remain concerned about the high consumption of alcohol which results in drinking and driving. 45% of our fatalities are pedestrians and the link goes to the high consumption of alcohol.”

As today’s traffic officer’s dedication is celebrated, society is cautioned to always remember that, being a field worker does not mean you are a slave but a saver.

The road safety awareness campaign is expected to be launched on December 5.