Happening now: Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula will release the 2020 Festive Season Preliminary Road Statistics in Limpopo. #FestiveRoadStats

#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula is joined by Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya and RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: The preliminary figures we are releasing today are a dipstick on the progress we are making towards achieving our 20% target to reduce fatalities this festive season.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: The peak travel period is upon us and we expect traffic volumes to spike between today and Thursday, followed by another spike on 31 December. The final peak is expected on the 3rd and the 10th of January 2021.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula says the roads have been busy, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. An average of 2 439 vehicles per hour were recorded on the N1 from Gauteng to Limpopo between 18-19 Dec; while the N3 from JHB to DBN recorded an average of 1 547 vehicles per hour.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: A total of 416 roadblocks were conducted from 1 to 20 Dec, with 634 166 vehicles having been stopped and checked. A total of 109 529 motorists were issued with traffic fines for various offences.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula says:
-2 415 vehicles were discontinued
-1 801 vehicles were impounded
- 2 111 motorists arrested for various offenses
- 896 were arrested for drunken driving
- 336 for speeding
- 588 warrants of arrests issued for outstanding traffic fines
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula says 690 people lost their lives on our roads over the period 1 to 20 December 2020, compared to 732 over the same period in 2019 - this is a 5.7% year-on-year decline.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula says the total number of crashes has declined by 8% compared to the same period last year.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: Six Provinces recorded a decline in fatalities
-Northern Cape recorded a 23.5% decline
-Western Cape recorded a 26.6% decline
-Free State recorded a 28.8% drop
-Gauteng recorded an 18.7% drop
-North-West recorded a 5.8% drop
-KZN recorded a 3% decline
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: 3 Provinces recorded an increase in the number of fatalities compared to the same period last year.
-Eastern Cape recorded a 21.5% increase
-Limpopo recorded an 18.4% increase
-Mpumalanga recorded a 15.9% increase
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: While it is encouraging to see a decline in fatalities, we are still a long way from achieving the 20% target. I urge all road users to exercise extreme caution as we enter the second phase of our peak travel period.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: In the coming days we will intensify our focus on hotspots. We will equally intensify the enforcement of Level 1 regulations and directions. This includes enforcing the curfew for all road users.
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula says he's aware of videos showing the Dinho convoy along the R80 Mabopane Highway into the Daspoort tunnel.

"This conduct is unacceptable, and our law enforcement authorities will show no mercy towards people who turn our roads into party spots."
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula threatens the use of rubber bullets to disperse motorists in 'convoy parties', adding "this mickey mouse behaviour will not be tolerated next time".
#FestiveRoadStats |Mbalula: It's not yet uhuru on the roads.

More from Government

How does a government put a legislation on 'hold'? Is there any constitutional mechanism for the executive to 'pause' a validly passed legislation? Genuine Koshan.


So a committee of 'wise men/women' selected by the SC will stand in judgement over the law passed by


Here is the thing - a law can be stayed based on usual methods, it can be held unconstitutional based on violation of the Constitution. There is no shortcut to this based on the say so of even a large number of people, merely because they are loud.


Tomorrow can all the income tax payers also gather up at whichever maidan and ask for repealing the income tax law? It hurts us and we can protest quite loudly.

How can a law be stayed or over-turned based on the nuisance value of the protestors? It is anarchy to allow that.
This article by Jim Spellar for @LabourList misses the point about why Labour needs to think seriously about constitutional reform - and have a programme for it ready for government.


The state of our constitution is a bit like the state of the neglected electric wiring in an old house. If you are moving into the house, sorting it out is a bit tedious. Couldn’t you spend the time and money on a new sound system?

But if you ignore the wiring, you’ll find that you can’t safely install the new sound system. And your house may well catch fire.

Any programme for social democratic government requires a state with capacity, and a state that has clear mechanisms of accountability, for all the big and all the small decisions that in takes, in which people have confidence.

That is not a description of the modern UK state.

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A few example of flat earth videos that were promoted by YouTube #today:
https://t.co/TumQiX2tlj 3/

https://t.co/uAORIJ5BYX 4/

https://t.co/yOGZ0pLfHG 5/