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Daily Maverick
06-07-2025
- Daily Maverick
‘I didn't plan to give up on my dream for R1,500' — brave Eastern Cape traffic cop has no truck with bribes
When a truck driver offered her a bribe, she was not about to turn her back on what she had worked for. Estelle Ellis spoke to Celiné Milborrow in KwaNojoli. Celiné Milborrow (21), originally from Alexandria in the Eastern Cape and now living in KwaNojoli (formerly Somerset East), had a dream to be able to save lives. So when the opportunity arose to become a traffic officer, she thought this would be her chance, because she had seen what lawlessness on the roads could do. She was chosen for the Department of Transport's trainee programme and has been working as a rookie traffic officer for the past six months. 'On the day I saw the advertisement that they were recruiting for traffic officials, I applied immediately,' she said. She then successfully completed her training and was posted on the N10, where one of her jobs is to do vehicle inspections. She is serious and meticulous, speaking in clipped tones when she recalls the incident. In general, she explains, the morning starts with some administrative work and then she and her colleagues head out to the N10 where they inspect vehicles, among other tasks. Roadblocks on this road are one of the measures implemented to mitigate potential dangers posed by heavy traffic that is caused by the manganese carriers on their way to Nelson Mandela Bay, from where manganese is exported. Milborrow explained that she and some of her colleagues were working on the N10 doing vehicle inspections when they pulled the truck over. 'We don't work alone, we work together,' she said. The truck, a manganese carrier coming from the Northern Cape, was deemed a moving hazard. It had various defects, ranging from a loose steering rack to loose wiring in the cabin and tyres that were in a poor condition. It was clear to her that the condition of the truck violated several road rules. 'I was speaking to the driver when he told me I must not bother writing up a summons,' she said. 'He then offered me R1,500.' She immediately turned him down and, when she arrested him, he offered her money again. 'I am an ethical person,' she said. 'And I didn't plan to give up on my dream for a bribe,' Milborrow added. Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose confirmed that Milborrow had arrested the driver. The truck was registered in the Northern Cape and was in a dangerous condition. Binqose confirmed that it was a manganese carrier. Eastern Cape transport MEC Xolile Nqatha applauded the officer for her 'act of bravery and absolute patriotism', putting public safety over personal gain. He said her actions would save lives. 'The N10 road has seen a lot of crashes involving trucks with defects like this one, not only claiming lives, but also resulting in lengthy road closures,' Binqose said. Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy said in January, when releasing the data on road safety during the festive season, that there was an 'appalling lack of respect' for traffic laws on South African roads. 'To give you a sense of the appalling lack of respect for the traffic laws, I want to share a few important numbers which will help all of us to better understand the very serious problem we are dealing with. 'Our law enforcement officers issued 711,184 fines for various traffic offences across the country. Some 23,607 fines were issued to drivers who failed to wear seatbelts, while another 16,925 motorists were fined for using cellphones while driving. 'Then, 16,527 vehicles were found to be unroadworthy and issued with traffic fines as well as having their motor vehicle licence discs removed, particularly in areas where vehicles could not be impounded due to lack of impoundment facilities. 'It must, however, be emphasised that in total, 48,917 motor vehicles were impounded in areas where facilities were available,' Creecy said. DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
Daily Maverick
22-06-2025
- Daily Maverick
Manganese carrier truck driver held for allegedly trying to bribe Eastern Cape traffic officer
The driver of a manganese carrier truck was pulled off on the N10 in the Eastern Cape just outside Cookhouse on Friday, after he allegedly offered a traffic officer a bribe when she pulled him over for driving an unroadworthy vehicle. A young Eastern Cape traffic officer refused an alleged bribe of R1,500 by a manganese truck driver after she pulled the vehicle off the road for being in a dangerous condition. Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, said the woman who arrested the driver was a young traffic officer recruited only in December last year. He said the truck, which was registered in the Northern Cape, was in a dangerous condition. Binqose confirmed that the truck was a manganese carrier. 'It was deemed a moving hazard with various defects ranging from a loose steering rack, loose wiring in the cabin and tyres that were [in poor] condition,' he said. He said the driver had offered the officer a R1,500 bribe, which she refused. She then proceeded to arrest the driver. Eastern Cape Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha applauded the officer for her 'act of bravery and absolute patriotism', putting public safety over personal gain. He said her actions would save lives. History of crashes 'The N10 road has seen a lot of crashes involving trucks with defects like this one, not only claiming lives, but also resulting in lengthy road closures,' Binqose said. In February 2024, a traffic officer, Sisanda Hadi, was knocked over and killed when she tried to pull over a manganese truck at the Kinkelbos weighbridge on the N2. In September 2023, about 17km before Cookhouse, a manganese carrier crashed into the vehicle of Middelburg businessman Calla Perry, killing him. The number of heavy trucks on the N10 passing Cradock has increased from 5,795 in 2021/22 to an estimated 15,000 trucks in the 2023/2024 financial year, according to information provided by Nqatha to the Eastern Cape Legislature. Manganese is transported by truck from mines in the Northern Cape and exported, mainly through the Port of Port Elizabeth in Gqeberha, where Transnet houses its main export facility for manganese in South Africa. In the past month, there have been at least two serious incidents involving heavy trucks on the N10. Two weeks ago, authorities had to struggle for eight hours to clear the wreckage and reopen the route after the N10 between Cookhouse and Nxuba [Cradock] was closed following a head-on collision involving two trucks. Last year, Nqatha said spot checks along the N10 were part of a road safety strategy. 'Corridor operations are conducted every month in collaboration with Northern Cape, focusing on heavy road freight. Multidisciplinary roadblocks are also conducted each quarter, focusing on heavy trucks. 'Traffic officers are deployed on a daily basis to patrol the N9 and N10, routes the heavy trucks are travelling. Speed measuring is conducted in certain spots on the N9 and N10 routes,' Nqatha said in response to a question in the Eastern Cape Legislature. DM
The South African
10-06-2025
- Climate
- The South African
Five killed in Eastern Cape as snow, heavy rains persist
The Eastern Cape Department of Transport has confirmed that five people have been killed in an accident on the N2. The accident happened between Braakfontein and Cintsa outside East London on Tuesday morning, 10 June, as heavy downpours and snowfall continue to wreak havoc in most parts of the province. Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said adverse weather conditions likely played a role as the driver claimed that the accident occurred after he swerved to avoid a tree that had fallen onto the road. Binqose said the driver lost control of the vehicle and the taxi overturned, resulting in the death of the three adult women and two men. 'The driver and one female passenger were taken to hospital with serious injuries. 'A case of culpable homicide has been opened for further investigations,' he added. The N2 has since been closed and motorists have been advised to use the Old Transkei Road. Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has increased the alert for disruptive rain in the Eastern Cape to an orange level nine. The weather service had already issued multiple warnings over the weekend for rain, damaging winds, and snow in most parts of the Eastern Cape. In the latest warning, the weather service said a cut-off low system is expected to persist over the interior of the country, resulting in heavy showers and thundershowers over the eastern half of the Eastern Cape with possible flooding over the OR Tambo District Municipality. Possible impacts include widespread flooding of roads and settlements, disruption to transport routes and travel services, as well as prolonged disruption to essential services such as water, electricity, and services to communities and schools. The warning comes as major roads and mountain passes were closed on Monday in the Eastern Cape due to snowfall. As of 11:00 on Tuesday, this is how things stand: The Penhoek pass on the N6 between Komani & Aliwal North is open for traffic. The Wapadsberg pass on the R61 between Graaff-Reinet & Cradock is open for traffic. The Lootsberg pass on the N9 between Graaff-Reinet & Middleburg is open for traffic. The Cala pass on the R410 has got multiple fallen trees in a couple of positions on the pass, however, authorities are busy clearing them for traffic flow. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
