52 people on two bakkies

2003-12-22 07:43

Retha Fourie

Modimolle - Limpopo traffic officers could not believe their eyes on Friday night when they spotted a bakkie towing another one with a trailer in an unusual way.

The bakkie and trailer were being towed with a wooden pole.

But the biggest shock still lay ahead for them after they pulled the vehicles over. No less than 52 passengers climbed out of the two bakkies.

All passengers turned out to be Malawians - with passports - that strangely enough had all been issued on the same day.

According to Gordon Horn of the Limpopo transport department one of the drivers told police the bakkie had broken down in Malawi and had been towed from there, using the wooden pole.

They crossed the Beit Bridge border post, which is about 300km from Modimolle, on December 15. From there they had followed back roads and dirt roads. They were en route to Durban.

He said both vehicles were completely unroadworthy as a result of cracked suspensions through to smooth tyres.

Apart from that, both vehicles' wiring was a ''source of danger'', he said.

One windscreen wiper had a rag wrapped around it as the rubber was worn through.

Both bakkies had a wooden frame on the back that was covered in black plastic, which concealed the passengers.

Horn said he had seized both vehicles so as to investigate the matter further.

Both vehicles and trailer were towed to Modimolle and the drivers face fines of R7 500.

- Beeld