Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Zuma's dangerous, high-speed 1km-long convoy terrifies residents...
Nov 19 2008 - Travelling on the campaign trail with South Africa's future president -- ANC President Jacob Zuma -- is not for the faint-hearted. It's downright dangerous. On Tuesday (Nov 18) the massive vehicle convoy that took Zuma on his pre-election blitz to Limpopo scattered all before it, screaming along highways and pot-holed country roads alike at speeds of up to 180km/h.
Wide-eyed residents gawked as the convoy flashed past road signs that warned "Pedestrians" or "School".With blue and white lights flashing from every light socket, the motorcade zipped over the zebra crossings that dot the tarmac in built-up areas and where the speed limit is clearly marked at 60km/h.
· At one point, the convoy numbered 33 vehicles - 22 belonging to one or another law enforcement agency - and stretched over more than a kilometre. The rest included members of the ANC's "security" section and other hangers-on driving luxury German sedans.
Traffic officers drove ahead, forcing traffic in both directions off the road, while their colleagues blocked off every crossing on the route to allow the convoy swift and unimpeded progress. Dozens of officials manned further roadblocks at service roads and arterials as regular road users waited patiently for the political circus to pass by.
Then came the so-called blue-light bullies of the VIP protection unit, who zig-zagged in front of and behind the three-vehicle hub carrying the ANC leader and his eminent company, including ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa.
· Rifle barrels protruded menacingly from one of these vehicles as motorists scrambled to get out of the way - and the occasional mock head-on chicken run convinced the lethargic to move over a bit quicker.
One astonished-looking driver, who limited his obedience to sticking to the slow lane, whipped out his cellphone and appeared to be making a video recording of the Zuma convoy as it flashed past him. But he could not have captured much - he was left behind in the blink of an eye. The latest display comes as the blue-light brigade begins to feel the sting of an increasingly angry public.
Newspapers and radio stations have recently been inundated with calls and letters from outraged motorists who have complained about the road manners displayed by the VIP squads.
· Constable Hlanganani Nxumalo, from a KwaZulu-Natal VIP protection unit, appeared briefly in court on Monday after he allegedly shot out the tyre of a car on the busy N3 highway, causing a major collision in which eight people were injured.According to reports, a shot was fired from the tinted window of the VIP protection squad vehicle when a Mazda failed to give way fast enough for the liking of this armed guard.
