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DG nabbed at 228km/h
26/11/2006 12:51 - (SA)
Steve Dlamini-Kabini
Johannesburg - The director-general of the department of social development, Vusimuzi Madonsela, thought he had the highway to himself as he sped along the N1 at 228km/h in his Mercedes-Benz on Saturday. But the Johannesburg Metro Police were lying in wait.
They had been on the Golden Highway bridge near Eldorado Park, western Johannesburg, since 05:00 and zapped him as he flew past in a 120km/h zone at 09:00.
Madonsela was stopped a kilometre from where the camera had captured him and immediately taken to Mondeor police station where he was briefly detained on charges of reckless and negligent driving.
Madonsela, who was due to go to Switzerland on a business trip tomorrow had to cancel it because he has to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court.
Dressed in a striped black suit and wearing trendy and expensive shoes, he had to part with R1 500 for bail after spending a few hours behind bars. He was released at about 14:00 on Saturday.
Inspector Solly Makgoba said Madonsela was freed on bail after his address was "verified".
The Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Madonsela was driving is one of the fastest sports cars in South Africa.
It can dash from 0-100km/h in under five seconds and can surpass 200km/h in less than 14 seconds.
Although the German monster is electronically limited to 250km/h, its clock registers a hair-raising top speed of 320km/h.
As Madonsela spent a few hours in the holding cells, his R800 000, topless, 5.5 litre V8 car with personalised registration was parked outside the station.
Madonsela had to surrender his passport before he could be freed.
"What's with the sensation? I have no comment," he said when approached by City Press.
His lawyer refused to comment.
Two other drivers were also arrested for speeding on Saturday. The driver of a Mazda 323 was caught travelling at 181km/h and a BMW 318i was caught doing 191km/h.
The two were handcuffed while Madonsela walked about freely.
A few police officers at the station said they were concerned that Madonsela was receiving preferential treatment.
Rampaleng Matli, the driver of the BMW, said the law was "not fair".
"I was handcuffed from the scene until I was thrown in the holding cells while the other suspect travelling at more than 200km/h was not cuffed," he said.
"I understand what I have done is unlawful, but I believe all suspects should be treated equally and fairly."
Madonsela tried to flee from the City Press photographer by climbing through a window at the police station, but he was too large to get through.
His arrest comes barely a week before the launch of government's Arrive Alive campaign, which aims to reduce road accidents. Speed has been identified as one of the biggest causes of road accidents in the country. In 2004, Arrive Alive recorded 3 463 speed-related crashes and 4 183 speed-related fatalities.
Madonsela's department hands out grants to orphans whose parents have died in road accidents and to those people who become disabled in car crashes.
- City Press
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