Man owes R800 000 in fines
2005-08-21 22:26
Johannesburg - He has outstanding traffic fines of R800 000 against him.
But Hein Fourie, 45, of Vereeniging, a provincial chief clerk in the Gauteng transport department, is only a state official doing an office job.
Unfortunately for Fourie, he used to be in charge of about 9 000 government vehicles, and he is still paying the price for that with traffic fines streaming in, addressed to him, from Cape Town to the Beit Bridge border post.
If he really was the driver of the 9 000 vehicles used during these traffic offences, he would in one year have had to have switched vehicles 24 times a day.
"They have put up roadblocks in a bid to catch me. Every now and again I receive threats of arrest while I'm at the office.
Threatening
"Now I'm fighting back by threatening with a civil suit of R2.5m should I end up behind bars," he says.
He has saved the government R12.6m in fines by disputing fines issued in his name.
Fourie, who works at the government garage in Bedfordview, says he acted as chief of the traffic fines department between 1997 and 2003. His name was given as the person responsible for government vehicles.
Although he was transferred to another department in March 2003, the fines haven't stopped streaming in.
Most of the traffic fines are for speeding, with the speedsters mostly being caught on camera.
Fourie disputes these fines by pointing out that he is not the one behind the wheel in the photograph.
Indicate
Although he can indicate which state department had the car at the time of the transgression, it is almost impossible to find the particular driver because of the departments' insufficient log-keeping, he says.
"All I can do is call the State prosecutor and explain, It's that Fourie again that receives thousands of fines for fleet cars."
In Johannesburg, however, the metro police refuse to show him any mercy.
"I have had three meetings with their top management, but their attitude remains that they will somehow milk the government garage for Johannesburg's share of the R800 000."
"Some of the fines date back to 1993. My seniors tell me it is my problem and I must find a solution.
Approach
"If I approach the State prosecutors for help, it's a battle to find someone willing to help me.
"I don't know what to do," says Fourie.
The week before last he appeared in court in Randburg.
Last week he had to appear in the Roodepoort magistrate's court on one of seven cases against him.
Next he must appear in court in Vereeniging and Roodepoort.
According to Fourie, a father of three, he goes to bed at night with a guardian angel watching over him, because he never knows who will turn up to fetch him.
It's for this reason that his children lock the gate at 18:00 every night.