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South African traffic officers will be issued with body cameras to help gather evidence and improve the conviction rate for traffic law violators.
This was announced on Monday by the Deputy Minister of Transport Dikeledi Magadzi, during the launch of the Easter Road Safety campaign.
He said the Road Traffic Management Corporation will roll-out the use of body cameras over the next 3 to 5 years.
Magadzi says the aim is to improve the levels of service.
The Deputy Minister said these cameras will further act as a deterrent for corruption, effectively preventing officers from soliciting or accepting bribes from motorists.
“Every interaction a traffic law enforcement officer has with a motorist will be recorded. Starting this Easter, there will be nowhere to hide for those who live beyond their means and finance their lavish lifestyles through bribes, at the expense of the law-abiding citizens on the roads.
“Traffic law enforcement will stop being an enrichment scheme for the unethical, unscrupulous, greedy and corrupt officers who undermine our efforts to bring discipline on our roads and arrest the carnage,” she said.
This Easter will see increased volumes on the roads and across land borders with neighbouring countries, as citizens and tourists use this period to engage in social, cultural and religious activities.
