Note to Editors: Find attached English soundbite by Solly Msimanga MPL, DA Gauteng Leader of the Official Opposition.
A 4-year-old girl from Evaton West is fighting for her life at Naledi Nkanyezi Private Hospital in Sebokeng, after being hit by a minibus. The vehicle, belonging to Gauteng’s Crime Safety Wardens (Amapanyaza), was operating with an expired disc. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands that Premier Panyaza Lesufi be held accountable as the political head of the Department of Community Safety for the department’s vehicle operating with an expired disc.
The accident happened on Sunday at Evaton West. The vehicle licence disc expired on 31 August 2024. This constitutes a serious violation of the law. It is intolerable and a disgrace that a department tasked with safety and law enforcement is breaking the law. This level of incompetence must be addressed, and action must be taken against the implicated officials.
Furthermore, Amapanyaza were meant to be disbanded, raising serious questions about why this unit is still operating at all. If this vehicle was allowed to operate illegally, the DA will be asking how many other Amapanyaza vehicles remain on the road, potentially also with expired licence discs.
See the photos of the vehicle here and here.
The DA wishes the child a speedy recovery and will be engaging with her parents on this issue to ensure justice.
We will table questions to Premier Lesufi to ascertain the details of the accident and the reason why this vehicle’s licence disc was not renewed. We will further demand clarity on why Amapanyaza are still operational despite commitments to disband the unit. We will also table questions to the Gauteng Department of Transport and Logistics to determine whether all Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG)-owned vehicles are operating legally with a valid licence disc.
No one is above the law; like any motorist or organisation owning vehicles, the government must operate legally with a valid licence disc.
Yes, this can be done. A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure that all GPG-owned vehicles and those doing business with them are operating legally. Officials will be adequately supervised to ensure that they renew the licence disc before their expiration date.