Cars being confiscated for minor offences

<p>On 21st April 2016 my girlfriend was fined in Idutywa Eastern Cape by a traffic officer (Khanyile Matshetu) for an expired disc and she was told that she must pay R500 for the fine on the spot. When she told the officer she will quickly withdraw the cash for the fine at a VERY NEARBY ATM (probably 10 steps or less from where she was stopped), the officer refused to wait and took the car to the traffic department premises which is also just across the road from where this happened.</p> <p> </p> <p>She called me to tell me about the situation, then I called Mr L. Mbelani (Commander Law Enforcement: Tel: ***) who told me that they have By-laws that are not documented and they change them as they please. When I asked how they communicate these changes with the Tax paying South African citizens that drive around the town of Idutywa, Mbelani told that he won't explain to me over the phone and he was not around (call recorded).</p> <p> </p> <p>My girlfriend paid the fine and had to wait for Matshetu and his colleagues (who were busy standing and chatting) to move a car that was blocking her car for about 45 minutes to an hour, bearing in mind that she was on lunch when all this happened and had to return to work.</p> <p> </p> <p>I understand that not displaying a valid disc on your windscreen is an offence and there's a R250 fine (as per the act and schedule of fines) for that but since when did it become a spot fine of R500 and the car is confiscated if you don't have cash in hand. And secondly I think there was a lack of professionalism from the Official's side with all sorts of comments ("she's cheeky, she can go get her other fancy car") as if he's trying to prove a point.</p> <p> </p> <p>Why do people have to drive in fear around Idutywa because of consistently changing undocumented by-laws? It's not fair and it's ridiculous.</p>