October 9, 2006
By Lucky Sindane
ABOUT 20 school children from Ferreira Primary School in the Johannesburg CBD donned bright bibs and joined metro police officers on Joburg's streets this morning, where they issued mock traffic fines to pedestrians and motorists who did not obey traffic rules.
The learners were first taught about the importance of obeying traffic rules and regulations before getting into the real action on the corners of Market and Gerard Sekoto streets in central Johannesburg.
A Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department initiative, it was part of the City's many events for Public Transport Month. It was aimed at teaching learners about traffic rules and what the officers encountered on a daily basis, as well as to encourage them to become law-abiding drivers and pedestrians.
"This is a law enforcement awareness campaign in support of the City's Public Transport Month," said Inspector Faith Lekgwati, of the metro police's area community outreach programme. "We want the learners to see what we encounter every day with motorists and pedestrians.
"We want these learners to see what is wrong so that when they grow up they know what they should and shouldn't do when they are driving."
Most motorists were very impressed with what the children were doing, but some taxi drivers were less so.
One taxi driver from Meadowlands, Soweto - stopped for not wearing his seat belt - complained. "This is just a waste of time … how can you teach kids to issue traffic fines to us? They should go back to school," he said. "You can't give me two traffic fines at the same time." He also could not produce his public transport licence.
Another taxi driver gave two learners the fright of their lives. After being pulled over, he started yelling at the learners and the officer who had ordered him to stop. He was also not wearing a seat belt and his licence disk had expired.
He refused to produce his driving licence, saying he did not have time to play.
"Angidlali ngisemsebenzini," he said in isiZulu, which means, "I am not playing; I am working."
Maseehah Mayet, who is 11, told the driver it was just an exercise for the learners and that the fines were not going to be recorded, but to no effect. He continued shouting at the three and it took over 10 minutes to get him to co-operate. However, he eventually produced his driving licence and was fined.
Lekgwati said that many taxi drivers believed that the metro police were targeting them, although "we try very hard to work together with them".
Mayet said she had learned many things today. "Some people obey traffic rules but some don't.
"If this is what our traffic officers go through every day, then something must be done to the bad drivers," she said.
It was a good day for 12-year-old Samkeliso Dlamini, who wants to be a metro policeman one day. "I've enjoyed myself today. I learned many things, including issuing tickets, pulling cars off the roads, checking tyres and many more … My wish is to become a traffic officer when I grow up," he concluded.
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