What was supposed to be a normal traffic check routine in April 2021 turned the life of a seasoned traffic officer into a nightmare that resulted in her spending a few nights in jail.
Recounting what happened on the day in question, Retshidisitswe Tshwanyane narrated one of the most traumatic experiences she has ever encountered in her 19 years as a public servant. “While I was patrolling, I saw a car causing obstruction without a driver.
I stopped my vehicle to inspect; I was then approached by the driver, who was a foreign national, who said he was not aware where he parked; it was considered danger and obstruction (sic),” she told Journal News Network (JNN). Upon further inspection, Tshwanyane told this newspaper that she found that the car did not have both number plates and a (licence) disc. “He told me he bought it at an auction.
I instructed him to follow me to the office (traffic department),” she added. According to Tshwanyane, when they arrived at the office, she requested papers from the driver to issue tickets and realised that his licence was not clear. She subsequently impounded the car and consulted with her supervisor to check whether she had followed due procedure or not in this regard.
The driver came back the following day to present the required legal documentation as proof that the car was indeed bought at an auction. Tshwanyane revealed that the driver started offering her a bribe in front of the security. She also discovered that the foreign national’s asylum documents had also expired.
After duly serving the driver with a traffic ticket, Tshwanyane revealed that she once again consulted with her supervisor to make a final decision. After the driver paid for the penalty, Tshwanyane then furnished the supervisor with the served traffic tickets as well as the proof of payment for the contravention.
The supervisor subsequently signed the vehicle out. Later in the day, while preparing for a roadblock, Tshwanyane and her colleagues were approached by members of the Hawks investigating illegal car impoundments. “As we were about to get into the vehicles, we were approached by people who said they were from the Hawks, and they told us why they were there. They instructed me to get out of the car and leave everything inside, and I complied.
They also asked to search my private car, but found nothing,” she continued. Tshwanyane detailed how she was thoroughly searched and how the Hawks officials claimed they had found around R560 by her supervisor, whilst alleging that an initial payment of R1 100 had been paid by the driver in question. As a result, the supervisor was detained for three days, while Tshwanyane, on the other hand, was arrested the following Monday on Monday, 26 April 2021.
She was detained and then released two days later, Wednesday, 28 April 2021, on R2 000 bail. With no evidence to support the spurious charges, Tshwanyane was eventually acquitted. She has decided to push back and press charges herself against her accusers following the harrowing experience and the reputational damage she continues to endure.
Tshwanyane stressed that internal disciplinary processes should have been followed if any grievances existed, adding that the ordeal subjected her to severe threats and insults within her church community where she serves as a pastor. “As a leader, this is sensitive even spiritually because you have children, married people, and women who look up to you,” said Tshwanyane.
The intense stigma deeply affected her marriage, her professional reputation, and her family's financial stability while her daughter was studying nursing in Europe. She concluded by advising others facing similar ordeals to fight hard for their reputations and refuse to let others dictate their narratives.
