THE Mangaung Metro Police in Bloemfontein in the Free State have impounded a branded South African Police Service vehicle that was wrongfully parked on one of the busiest streets in the Bloemfontein CBD on Monday afternoon, 22 January.
The municipal traffic police were embarking on an intensive patrol on the streets of Bloemfontein when they noticed a police van blocking the traffic.
Police spokeswoman Captain Lorraine Earle said the office of the provincial commissioner has noted the video making the rounds on social media of a marked police van, belonging to the Sasolburg public order police, being impounded by traffic officials.
"The provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Baile Motswenyane has already ordered the immediate commander to embark on internal investigations. These internal investigations will dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding the incident," she said.
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"Members of the South African Police Service are always cautioned before they are authorised to drive state vehicles to abide by all prescripts of the Road Traffic Act, unless there is any emergency prompting them not to and that must be done with caution without putting the lives of others in danger," she said.
The matter has created a serious debate on social media where other people questioned whether Metro police had briefed investigators before, or they just impounded the vehicle. Some asked what if police were seeking criminals in the CBD where their vehicle.
On the other hand, others congratulated the Metro police and emphasised this was a clear demonstration that no one was above the law.
According to Mangaung municipal spokesman Qondile Khedama, a police van was parked haphazardly in the middle of the road in front of Police Provincial Office obstructing the traffic which let to unnecessary congestion.
"Metro officers made preliminary investigations and found that there was no emergency. The driver and his colleagues were in the long meeting in the provincial office. We impound every car that doesn't obey the rules of the road whether belongs to the government or not. We are not against police duty execution. We're standing firm against unroadworthy vehicle, wrongful partings amongst others," he said.
