Nonkosi Nogaga had dreamed of celebrating her graduation on 24 October. Instead, the devoted mother faced a traffic arrest that kept her away from this milestone, reports Cape {town} Etc.
At a Wynberg roadblock, Nogaga was asked to pay R1500 (on the spot) for alleged unpaid fines. She refused, explaining she had already settled them through a mobile app.
‘I tried to explain to him that I had paid all the fines, but he would not listen,’ Nogaga told News24. ‘He kept telling me if I could only pay at least R1000, he would let me go.’
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The traffic officer then drove her car with her crying six-year-old daughter to school before taking Nogaga to Wynberg Police Station. She spent a night in a cell and feared spending the weekend at Pollsmoor Prison after failing to pay bail.
‘When they said that, I just burst into tears. I cried all day. I was so scared,’ she said.
Her elder daughter managed to pay R300 for bail. Returning to court on 25 November with proof of payment, Nogaga discovered no case existed against her and the bail money could not be refunded.
‘After all that trauma, there was suddenly nothing on my name,’ she said. ‘I was treated like a criminal and not even an apology was offered.’
Legal expert Alta Swanepoel explained South Africa does not allow spot fines and notes that if a person is arrested without a valid warrant, the arrest would be unlawful (ANA).
City of Cape Town Traffic Services spokesperson Kevin Jacobs said the City takes the allegations seriously and has called for a formal statement to investigate.
Nogaga now worries the arrest and fingerprinting could affect her police clearance needed for future studies and work involving children.
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Cape Town driver arrested after heated clash with traffic officer
Picture: Taryn Carr / Gallo Images (Image is for illustrative purposes only)
