[imagesource:zapiro]
The Automobile Association (AA) isn’t one to wade into political waters, but its latest press release is bound to stir the pot. Those who brave the highways and byways of Gauteng every day will surely resonate with the AA’s concerns.
With a noticeable rise in blue-light convoys on the province’s roads, the AA warns that these VIP brigades are endangering the safety of everyday motorists, per The Citizen.
It cited the “vicious assault” on three drivers on the N1 highway in Fourways in 2023 as “a good example of how protection officers in the motorcades respond to others”.
“The message from these official personnel is that their passengers are more important than other road users and that the public must simply yield or face personal attack.”
Willem Groenewald, the CEO of the Automobile Association (AA), said then that issues regarding blue light bridges have existed for years.
“In early 2022, we noted our deep concerns about the so-called Blue Light Brigades and the threat they pose to road users. They are aggressive towards other drivers, often pushing them off the road to ensure their convoy has easy passage – many times through heavy traffic,” said Groenwald.
“We noted then, as we do again here, that anecdotal evidence points to members screaming at other motorists, showing their firearms to other motorists to intimidate them, and generally being belligerent when on the road.”
Aggressive bodyguards aren’t the only blue-light hazard on the roads; these convoys often speed well above the limit, weaving in and out of traffic like they own the place.
As it stands, Blue Light Brigades are allowed to disobey certain road rules (within reason), but that shouldn’t mean that they are above the law. As Groenewald argues, when the safety of other motorists and people on the road is completely disregarded, that becomes a major problem.
The AA recently said it is still receiving numerous complaints from members about these high-speed motorcades, per IOL.
“Whatever politician is being transported in these motorcades must make it clear that they expect the highest levels of professional and ethical behaviour from their support staff,” the AA said. “Allowing these officers to act the way they do sends a message to the public that they are above the law, which they are not.”
They added that they “contend that any driver who drives recklessly or is careless about the safety of other users on the road should be held liable for gross negligence where they pose a threat to property or another person whether they are driving a politician, delegate, VIP, or a car fitted with a blue light, just like any other road user,” the AA said.
“In fact, driving recklessly so a principal can be on time for a meeting does not constitute an emergency for the rest of the motoring public and it is shameful to think or act otherwise.”
That video showing officers allegedly beating three civilians to a pulp was but one of many incidents in the past 10 years. In March 2022, a motorist was allegedly assaulted and their vehicle damaged by a blue light brigade, and in 2016 a man in Pretoria was assaulted for not pulling over fast enough.
In June 2018, two people died in a Free State accident allegedly caused by a speeding convoy, while in April 2017 a Durban woman was injured after her car was forced off the road by a speeding blue light convoy.
And these are just the incidents that have been reported.
The Citizen asks in conclusion; “But the real question, comrades, is: What are you afraid of?”
“Surely not ordinary South Africans? They love all politicians, don’t they?”
[sources:thecitizen&iol]
