Undocumented people arrested on N4 Roadblock

A total of 16 undocumented people were arrested and taken to Majakaneng Police Station during the joint law enforcement operation and road safety awareness campaign on the N4 near Bapong Traffic Control Centre in Brits earlier today, Thursday, 16 February.

UNDOCUMENTED PERSONS ARRESTED WITHOUT PAPERS

According to the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, the operation focused on passenger and goods overloading targeting trucks and taxis, driver passenger safety as well as dangerous goods.

Amid the roadblock, the law enforcers arrested undocumented people who are said to be of different nationalities within the Continent. They were locked up after failing to produce the required documents when requested to do so by law enforcement on the N4.

WHY THE N4 WAS GIVEN PRIORITY BY NORTH WEST GOVERNMENT

“The area is known variety of criminality including spikes laid on the road causing punctures. After that, vehicle owners have been mugged, especially during the night.”

NWPG

ALSO READ: Don’t blame ‘Malayisha’ from Zimbabwe, blame traffic officers

The N4 arterial route is the Trans Kalahari Corridor which is being used by cargo operators to transport commercial goods from South Africa to countries up north through Botswana and Namibia.

The list of successes is as follows:

• Four vehicles were impounded and a further four were discontinued.
• A total of R10 000 worth of fines were issued for a variety of offences. Nineteen drivers were fined for driving without a driver’s license.
• In total, over two thousand and four hundred trucks were stopped and weighed at the Bapong Weighbridge. Of these trucks, over one hundred and thirty were overloaded and operators were charged and some were impounded.

ALSO READ: No trip to Zimbabwe as Cross border buses are impounded

ACTING DIRECTOR SHARES SENTIMENTS ON THE OPERATION

Acting Director for Road Traffic Management of the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Zenzile Mtshengu said they will continue with such operations to ensure compliance on the roads.

“It is our responsibility as law enforcement to ensure that goods are being transported safely and people from our neighbouring countries are also able to transit without having to fear for their lives in our country. In doing so, we are strengthening relations with these countries and contributing to the growth of our country’s economy,” said Mtshengu.