The Department of Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo continues to intensify its 24/7 traffic law enforcement operations as part of October Transport Month and its commitment to road safety.
In a major interception at the Polokwane Weighbridge, officers intercepted a bus travelling from Malawi towards Gauteng. The bus, which is certified to carry 70 passengers, was found to be carrying 87 passengers - an excess of 17 passengers.
Upon inspection, the bus was further found to be unroadworthy with multiple defects including no windscreen wipers, missing wheel nuts, unauthorised front lamps obscuring the number plate, and a door that could only be opened from the inside.
Furthermore, a discrepancy has been established between the official passenger list and the actual number of people on board. According to the manifest when the bus crossed the border on 13 October 2026, it had 39 passengers, while the physical count at the weighbridge was 87 passengers.
Immigration services were called to assist with verification. During verification, one person was found to be undesirable and has been apprehended by Immigration Services for further processing with Westernburg SAPS.
In a separate incident, at or about 06h00 this morning during a speed law enforcement operation on the N1 North at Sondela, officers intercepted a minibus travelling at 151km/h. The vehicle was en-route to Beitbridge in Musina, from Gauteng.
Upon being stopped, the driver alighted from the vehicle and fled the scene, leaving behind an overloaded minibus with 21 passengers, comprising 13 adults and 8 children. The minibus was escorted to Bela-Bela Police Station for further processing.
The MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Ms. Nakedi Kekana, commends the officers for their vigilance and reiterates the department’s zero-tolerance approach to reckless driving, overloading and any violation of traffic and immigration laws.