PROVINCIAL NEWS - Road safety in the Western Cape will be bolstered over the festive season by the addition of 133 newly graduated traffic officers. The new recruits will be deployed across the province.
At their graduation in Cape Town yesterday, Monday 9 December, Premier Alan Winde and Western Cape Mobility Minister Isaac Sileku expressed their pleasure at this addition to the force and praised the graduates for their hard work.
"This graduation marks a major milestone, not only in the lives of these traffic officers, but also in our ongoing efforts to enhance road safety in the Western Cape," Sileku said.
"Their training has equipped them with the skills to respond effectively to the challenges of modern traffic law enforcement, especially during the busy festive season. I am confident that their deployment will contribute to safer roads and save lives. Once again I also appeal to our residents and visitors to please work with us and practise responsible road use behaviour to ensure that we and our loved ones all get to our destinations safely."
Winde said these traffic officers will help the province to cover as much of the road network as possible.
"They are so more than traffic officials, though; they should also see themselves as part of our broader safety and security network, where they too play an important part in keeping communities safe from crime," he said.
"As hard as these women and men will be working to keep all road users safe, motorists and pedestrians also need to be aware of their role and responsibilities. Please behave responsibly on the roads. Let us all make sure we all reach our destinations safely."
Western Cape Mobility Minister Isaac Sileku inspects the parade of new graduates.
Training programme
The 12-month long training aimed at equipping recruits with the skills and knowledge required to enforce traffic laws, manage incidents, and ensure road safety across the province.
The Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC) in Road Traffic Law Enforcement covered 30 important units, including the National Road Traffic Act, AARTO, crash scene management, incident management systems, and anti-corruption practices.
Officers also received specialised training in dangerous goods handling, firearms control, tactical stops and approaches, restraining techniques, ethics and wellness, and modern traffic technology.
Successful candidates passed two final integrated summative assessments, conducted by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
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