On Tuesday (11/11), a 15-seater minibus was found carrying 29 school children in Mahikeng. Traffic officers impounded the overloaded vehicle after discovering that it was operating on a route for which it was not licensed.

Overloading remains one of the major contributors to road fatalities, said departmental spokesperson Oshebeng Koonyaditse. MEC Wessels Morweng condemned the incident, calling on all public transport operators to strictly adhere to the law, he added. 

He’s issued “a stern warning” to all road users to ensure they comply with the law. “We have just activated the provincial leg of the safer festive, which has been running since the beginning of October, and it’s going to go on for 123 days until the end of January, where we ensure that all moving violations will be dealt with.”

The MEC appealed to road users to ensure they comply with the law or face consequences. 

Meanwhile, North West police are searching for a suspect linked to an alleged case of stock theft, said Koonyaditse. The suspect, a young man whose age could not be determined as he carried no identification, reportedly fled when stopped by traffic officers on the R49 near Dihatshwane Village outside Mahikeng.

He had allegedly been transporting cattle for which he could not produce documents when requested to do so. The officers impounded the light utility vehicle and took the cattle suspected to be stolen to the nearest police station for processing.

The suspect is still at large, but officers are on his trail and believe he will be apprehended soon.

Morweng reiterated law and order would not be compromised in the province, stressing enforcement would be applied equally to all.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh