In another spectacular use of state funds, Eye Witness News is reporting that Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu has amassed almost R65 000 in traffic fines since April 2009.

No explanations have been given yet, but I guess we will just have to assume there were a lot of mineral related emergencies in the last few years. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s Ashref Ismail

The ministers do not drive themselves. They are driven by uniformed, trained officials from the SAPS (South African Police Services) with a rank of at least a captain. So that person in charge of the vehicle would have to indicate why it was necessary to travel at such high speeds.

Shabangu is not the only minister who views driving in South Africa as a video game where the higher the speeding fine the better you are doing; between April 2010 and March 2012, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters incurred fines amounting to R40 000. Officially, ministers are liable for paying their own fines, but whether they, or the individuals driving the vehicles foot the tab remains to be seen. Although perhaps there is some sort of grander conspiracy at work, where the ministers have found a cunning way to channel money into the police’s coffers by driving like hooligans and getting their departments to pay the fines. While doubtful, this does have a sort of South African political elegance that would be quite pleasing.