Martin Endjala
The judiciary today said it is extending the amnesty that was granted to all members of the public with pending traffic warrants of arrest to pay admission of guilt fines for a further two months.
Persons in this category now have until 31 March 2023 to pay their warrants without any repercussions, this is after the amnesty granted as from 1 November 2022 to 31 January 2023 lapsed.
During the period of amnesty, an accused with a pending warrant of arrest must appear in Court. Accused persons who intent to pay admission of guilt fine, are allowed to do so from Monday to Friday during normal working hours.
Office of the Judiciary Spokesperson Viktoria Hango says that after payment of the admission of guilt fine, the summons of notice to appear in court together with the receipt must be brought to the attention of the magistrate for the purpose of an enquiry to be held in terms of Section 55 of Act 51 of 1977.
The extension of the amnesty period is said to be based on the non-execution of warrants of arrest, during the said period and not the suspension of the enquiry as mandated.
Meanwhile, the president of the Namibia Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) Werner Januarie said that they acknowledge the gesture however they want long-time solutions to help the livelihoods of their members which has been negatively impacted by this fines.
A case has been open in the court to challenge the traffic fines, which is seeking for all pending traffic fines to be dropped and for their members to be compensated of every penny spent citing the fines as discriminatory to the already cumbersome lives of its members.
Januarie says that the current minimum traffic fine which stands at N$1000 and a maximum of N$4500 does not even amount to the N$2000 salary earned by taxi drivers. He added that when its members don’t pay they are a times fined up until N$30 000 an action by traffic officers he redeems to be unlawful.
He says that although the amnesty sounds good it provides no difference as taxi drivers and the public are still expected to pay this fines while they do not have the means to do so.
