In a colourful Pass- Out Parade, theNelson Mandela Bay Municipality welcomed 156 newly trained traffic officers to the frontline of road safety in the Eastern Cape. Conferring the recognition of the newly trained traffic officers, is the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Honourable Xolile Nqatha, Representatives from the Eastern Cape Department of Transport and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Cllr Babalwa Lobishe on Friday, 06 December 2024.

 The newly trained traffic officers, who hail from the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Buffalo City Municipality, Elundini Municipality and Mandeni Municipality, took their oath, marking the beginning of their critical role in maintaining road safety and enforcing traffic laws across the province.

In honouring the newly trained traffic officers, the MEC for Transport andCommunity Safety, Honourable Xolile Nqatha, encouraged officers to embody the values of good governance and serve as exemplary representatives of the Department of Transport, dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of citizens. 

The deployment of these newly trained traffic officers is expected to have a far-reaching impact, extending beyond enhanced road safety and orderliness, but also contribute significantly to the region’s economic growth. Businesses invest in regions with a compelling reputation for safety and stability, and the newly recruited traffic officers will create a favourable environment for economic development.

 "Law enforcement, orderliness and road safety are the cornerstones of a stable democratic society, they are necessary dependency factors for an efficient economy where local residents and tourists are not discouraged from experiencing our tourism and hospitality industry because of frustrations arising from lawlessness,” said the Executive Mayor Cllr Babalwa Lobishe. 

With the peak cruise and summer season approaching, bringing with it an influx of tourists, the timing of this recruitment could not have been more suitable. The presence of additional traffic officers will play a crucial role in ensuring road safety also combating the issue of drinking and driving, thus setting the stage for an unforgettable and incident free festive season.

In congratulating the newly trained traffic officers, the Executive Mayor applauded the graduates for subjecting themselves to the discipline of training, in pursuit of the goal to be traffic officers and enforcers of the applicable laws and ordinances of traffic control.  

"I am greatly appreciative to have walked this journey, it has not been easy, but it has definitely been worth it. I am ready to serve our people, I am ready to ensure road safety, and I am ready to be an enforcer of the law,” said traffic graduate, Alungile Cawe.

Ends.