A few weeks ago, while driving on the N2 at Houw Hoek near Cape Town, I reached a "Stop/Go" road repair site. After a few minutes of waiting, someone responsible for the traffic signals walked along the waiting cars and informed them that there would be a delay as "the minister of police is coming". After a wait of about 20 minutes, during which time hundreds of vehicles were stopped behind mine, a phalanx of blue-light and other associated vehicles, suitable perhaps for escorting the president of the US, came past us from the opposite direction. Is it surprising that the government’s VIP protection services reportedly cost more than the government spends on tertiary education in SA. Is all of this really necessary? Wouldn’t the police minister be as able to perform his functions accompanied by a single escort security vehicle? Does the traffic on a main arterial route in SA have to be held up in this manner, exhibiting a quite extraordinary arrogance by someone who is supposed to b...
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