Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye and Themba Tshabalala have now finally been sentenced and they quickly went from heroes to zeros. The long-playing media saga is over and we can all relax while he spends his first Christmas in jail.
This has been a high-profile case because of the celebrity, the circumstances of the accident and the fact that four children died. Most people welcome and applaud the long sentences meted out to them or even calling for a longer sentence.
But spare a thought for those families who have lost loved ones over the years where the perpetrators got off scot free or only with a small fine. Annually, there are thousands of fatal accidents on our roads, mostly caused by dangerous and reckless driving. These accidents are seldom properly investigated and the person that caused the accident never even sees the inside of a court room.
These families have to live with the thought that the person who was responsible for the deaths of their beloved is still living a normal life, probably enjoying himself and exhibiting the same behaviour as before.
In my opinion, the Jub Jub case set a precedent, from now on, all accidents should be properly investigated and if there is any dangerous or recklessness involved, that person should be brought to court, prosecuted and sentenced with the same harshness than these two.
Every day you can observe people driving through red traffic lights, jumping stop streets, snorting at solid white lines and behaving dangerously and recklessly. The fact that they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol should be regarded as aggravating circumstances as they are fully aware of their actions. I’m not even talking about drunk drivers and people driving with kids jumping around on the front seat. People who break traffic rules should now realise that their behaviour can result in a 25 year sentence if they cause an accident where people are killed or hurt.
In addition, the authorities are fully aware of the fact that many drivers on our roads are driving with a Baleka Mbete licence, yet they turn a blind eye to this. In my opinion, they are equally responsible for the carnage on our roads because they knowingly ignore the problem. The Corruption Act is very clear, if I turn a blind eye to someone who is committing a crime, I’m also criminally responsible.
So next time you speed, ignore a red traffic light, make a slow stop at the stop street and drive over a solid white line, think about it: IT MIGHT COST YOU 25 YEARS IN JAIL.
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