Mthatha motorists have long been regarded as among the worst drivers in SA.
The town itself has earned a reputation for lawlessness which is not helped by drivers who park illegally on pavements, as well as general disregard for traffic laws, congestion and a perceived lack of road traffic management by authorities.
But the King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality’s new chief traffic officer, Lisa Quluba, has vowed to change all of this.
The vastly experienced Quluba recently took over from Zanele Ndiki.
“The situation can be made better but that can only happen if there is co-operation from law-abiding community members and other role players,” he said.
“[Despite the bad reputation] there are still good citizens out there.
“And though there are many challenges, the situation can still be turned around in a positive direction through improvising and strategies.
“However, time will tell.”
Several years ago, KSD municipal bosses appointed a KwaZulu-Natal-based traffic management company to put up traffic cameras in and around Mthatha in a bid to reduce road transgressions.
The company revealed that its cameras had managed to capture about 2,000 traffic violations daily.
These included motorists skipping red robots and not stopping at intersections.
Quluba started his career as a traffic warden in the Qonce Transitional Local Council (TLC) in 1999.
After it merged with the East London TLC and other areas in the early 2000s, and was renamed the Buffalo City Metropolitan municipality (BCM), he was one of four successful candidates for a learner traffic officer’s position.
Before starting his career, he graduated from the Port Elizabeth Traffic Training College cum laude as the best student, excelling in legal subjects.
Quluba began working as a fully fledged traffic officer in BCM’s inland region from December 2004.
In 2014, he was appointed as assistant operations superintendent, and in 2021, joined Stellenbosch Municipality as principal inspector for law enforcement operations, reporting directly to the traffic and law enforcement manager for two years.
After announcing his appointment as KSD’s new chief traffic officer, the municipality said on its social media page: “Lisa Quluba is well known in the Buffalo City Metro as one of the most strict, polite but firm officers who only shows a smile when you do right.
“Under his belt, he boasts a number of qualifications, various law enforcement qualifications, a diploma in metropolitan police and traffic management, as well as an LLB ...”
KSD’s public safety portfolio head and mayoral committee member, Mlawuli Marasha, said the local authority was excited about Quluba’s appointment.
“This is someone who is highly recommended due to his vast experience, hence we roped him in as we were looking for someone with tons of experience who will be able to change the image of our municipality.”
He admitted that the municipality was lacking when it came to rendering services to the public due to being understaffed.
It had therefor appointed someone who could come up with ideas to help improve traffic management on its roads.
“We have to change Mthatha’s driving culture where people jump red robots.”
Mthatha businessman Vuyisile Ntlabati welcomed Quluba’s appointment, saying the town needed a strong hand to help end the culture of lawlessness on its roads.
He said Mthatha was characterised by traffic congestion, especially in the CBD, while motorists parked anywhere, including on pavements, making it difficult for pedestrians.
“We need experienced people to change the situation,” he said.
“Congestion unfortunately leads to a lot of crime as people’s cars are broken into.
“But it will be a tall order to change the mindset of the people.”
He said the situation was worsened by a lack of enforcement of municipal bylaws and that as a result, businesses were reluctant to invest in Mthatha.
Daily Dispatch
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