Deputy Speaker, after the tragic incident in which Mr Thomas Ferreira was knocked down by a car transporting a Gauteng MEC, DA leader Helen Zille wrote to President Jacob Zuma, asking for his urgent intervention to put a stop to this lawlessness and force the Cabinet to comply with the law. This follows a previous appeal by the DA to the President in March 2010 to put a stop to the abuse of power by blue-light bullies.
The Western Cape provincial government has already taken steps to ban the use of blue lights by all government officials, including national Ministers visiting the Western Cape, except in cases of genuine emergency.
The national government must now stop hiding behind the excuses of urgent meetings and missed flights. The fact is that the abuse of blue lights is already against the law. The National Road Traffic Act provides that the blue lights may be used only by SAPS VIP units in the exercise of their duty, which is to protect the life of the Minister or the MEC. This does not include getting them to a meeting on time.
The DA offers its full support to the call by Justice Project SA to ban blue lights altogether. Judging by the response the petition has received in the days since it was launched, President Jacob Zuma should take note of the feelings of the ordinary people of South Africa about this abuse of power. He must act to stop it before others are hurt. Thank you. [Applause.]