Police Spokesperson Senior Inspector Clifford Molefe
IT is illegal for police officers to confiscate driver’s licences from motorists, and those whose documents are seized must report to their nearest police station.
Police spokesperson, Superintendent Clifford Molefe, said this in the wake of a surge in complaints by motorists who claim to have lost their driver’s licences after they were confiscated.
Traffic police manning roadblocks usually ask for driver’s licences before inspecting the vehicle.
He said the confiscation of driver’s licences was contributing to cases of corruption as motorists felt compelled to bribe traffic police to get them back.
“Police officers should not confiscate driver’s licences and those who have their licences taken should report to the Pitso Ground Police Station which is responsible for traffic-related issues,” said Superintendent Molefe.
He said in the event that motorists have broken the law, they should be charged and the matter taken to court.
Superintendent Molefe said 42 public transport operators were last week convicted for contravening traffic laws such as driving without driver’s licences and D Permits, which are meant for buses, taxis and “four-plus-one” taxis.
He said the convicted public transport operators were fined between M500 and M1 000 depending on their offences.
The police spokesperson also called on the general public to tip them off when road laws are breached by public transport operators to curb incidents of crime.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Molefe also revealed that the police seized
seven knives during a stop-and-search operation in Butha-Buthe and arrested a 27-year-old Literapeng man for illegal possession of 390 grams of dagga.
He said they also discovered 25 firearms and 84 rounds of ammunition in various operations after being tipped off by the public.
Superintendent Molefe added that the weekly police operations also yielded 16 knives, a knobkerrie and 14.2 kilograms of dagga with six suspects having appeared before the courts. – LeNA.
